Wigwe’s PA: I tried to prevent my boss, Abimbola from boarding ill-fated chopper

Sola Faleye, personal and technical assistant to Herbert Wigwe, the late group chief executive officer (GCEO) of Access Holdings Plc, says he tried to prevent his boss from boarding the chopper that claimed his life.

Faleye spoke on Wednesday during the night of tributes held for Wigwe in Lagos.

Wigwe, alongside his wife, son, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), were involved in a helicopter crash in the United States on February 10, 2024.

Recounting how he narrowly escaped the helicopter crash, Faleye said he also tried to prevent Ogunbanjo from boarding the chopper.

“Five of us embarked on that journey. I remember Mr. Bimbo chatted me and said he wants to come with us, it was a Tuesday. And I told him my boss’ journey is not always straightforward. Sometimes, you can get in the air and divert somewhere else, and he said he was going to wait,” the PA to the late business mogul said.

“I said he was still going to Abuja that day, and maybe he’ll be leaving later in the midnight and he said he was going to wait.

“I still tried to let him understand that we will be in London Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, he said he will stay in his house and wait. I really don’t know why I was trying to convince him not to, I don’t know, and we all went on the journey.”

Faleye added that the group flew from London to Palm Springs, relieved that their trip was about to end.

However, the PA said he was skeptical about them continuing their trip by midnight, so he tried to implore Wigwe to have a rethink.

“I remember, in the middle of the air, I walked up to him. I said sir, how comfortable are you flying chopper at night? I’ve never done it before. And he said a word, he said, ‘This is America, they have navigation systems for flying chopper at night’ and I went back to my seat,” Faleye said.

He recounted that after arriving Palm Springs, there were two vehicles waiting for them — one to accompany them to the chopper and the other to transport their luggage, which could not fit in the chopper, by road.

Faleye said he decided to leave with the vehicle that had the luggage, after weighing the options of leaving the bags unattended to, or flying in luxury with his boss.

“Brilliant idea,” Wigwe told him.

Faleye said he wished his boss a safe trip and that was the last conversation they had.

He said he knew something was wrong when hours into his road trip, he put a phone call across to Wigwe and his wife.

“Two and half hours into my own journey… I was a bit sleepy in the car. So, at exactly 10:09, mind you, the chopper went down at 10:08. Something just pricked me and I picked up my phone. In my own estimation, they should have landed,” he said.

“I called him (Wigwe), it wasn’t ringing. I called madam… she has three numbers… I called all three. I called Chizzy (Wigwe’s son). I called Mr. Bimbo.”

Hours later, all six persons onboard the chopper were confirmed dead after it went down.