Herbert Wigwe, wife, son buried in Isiokpo 

The late chief executive officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, Chizoba, and their son, Chizi, have been laid to rest in their hometown of Omueke, Isiokpo in Ikwere Local Government of Rivers State.

The private interment followed a funeral church service held to honor the trio who died in a helicopter crash in the United States last month.

The burial concluded a week-long series of funeral rites held to commemorate the lives of the late banking mogul, his wife, and son.

The funeral service commenced promptly at 11:00 AM today, drawing mourners from both local and international communities to pay their final respects.

Dignitaries at the event

Among the dignitaries present at the service were Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, Governor Sim Fubara, Governor Alex Otti, Governor Dapo Abiodun, Governor Babajide Sawno-Olu, Governor Douye Diri, former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Aliko Dangote, HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II, among others.

Also in attendance were Rivers State and State Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu, who served as the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the burial ceremony, and Dr. Godknows Igali, a former Nigerian diplomat, were among the many others present.

The tragic incident that claimed the lives of Herbert, Chizoba, and Chizi Wigwe, along with former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group) Abimbola Ogunbanjo and two pilots, occurred when their Airbus Helicopter EC 130B4, with registration number N130CZ, crashed near Halloran Springs, California, on February 9, 2024.

The exact cause of the crash is yet to be determined, although a preliminary report released by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicated that witnesses observed the helicopter as a “fireball” before it crashed. The weather at the time was reported to be a mix of rain and snow.