The former personal assistant to the late Herbert Wigwe, Sola Faleye, has recounted the tevents that led to his absence from the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of his boss and six others.
Wigwe, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of Access Holdings Plc, died in a helicopter crash in the United States, on Friday, February 9.
His wife and son, as well as Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the forme~r group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), were in the helicopter when it crashed in California near the Nevada border.
All six passengers on board died. The Eurocopter EC130 helicopter, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), crashed around 10 pm California time.
Faleye, speaking at the tributes event on Wednesday night, described how he initially planned to travel with his boss but ultimately decided to accompany the luggage by road due to logistical concerns and how he tried to dissuade Ogunbajo from taking the trip.
“Five of us embarked on that journey. I remember Mr. Bimbo chatting with me and saying he wants to come with us, it was a Tuesday,” Faleye said.
“And I told him my boss’s journey is not always straightforward. Sometimes, you can get in the air and divert somewhere else, and he said he was going to wait.”
He said that despite his attempts to dissuade Ogunbajo, even highlighting his boss’s itinerary in London and the possibility of waiting for a later flight, Mr. Ogunbajo remained adamant.
Looking back, he said, “I can’t explain why I tried so hard to convince him not, I don’t know, and we all went on the journey.”
Faleye then described the journey from London to Palm Springs, California, where they were to board the ill-fated helicopter. During the flight, he expressed his apprehension about night-time helicopter travel to Wigwe, who reassured him of the advanced navigation systems employed in the US.
“It was a sweet journey. 11 hours we flew from London. I remember in the middle of the air. I walked up to him. I said, ‘Sir, how comfortable are you at night flying choppers? I have never done the app allocation system for flying choppers before.’ He (Mr Wigwe) said this is America, they have a navigation system for flying choppers at night and I went back to my seat. And we landed. Everybody was filled with joy that we were finally almost there.”
Upon landing in Palm Springs, Faleye said he and the others waited for immigration clearance. Two vehicles were present: one for passengers and another for luggage, as the latter could not be accommodated on the helicopter.
“Throughout my years of working with him (Mr. Wigwe), I’ve always told myself that flying that way is not a luxury for me. I am on duty…..as they were loading the luggage. And this thought came to mind…. why not just go with the luggagges then, get there and deliver it to him and others in the room. Like I said, I always reason in the line of duty.
“And I walked up to him (Mr Wigwe). I said, Sir, I think it’s safer and secure for me to just ride and bring the luggage to you.” He said it was a brilliant idea. And I said, Safe flight.”
While, Wigwe reportedly agreed to this suggestion, Faleye said he set off for Vegas with the luggage, while the others boarded the ill-fated helicopter to the same location.
“Since 2019. I cannot count one or two places or flights that he has been in and I am not in it. We are always together. I can recall Madam will always tell anybody if you need to talk to my husband, speak to Sola. They build that trust, they build up confidence in me.”
Faleye added that two and a half hours into his journey, he attempted to call his boss, assuming they had already landed. However, his calls to Mr. Wigwe, Mrs. Wigwe (using all three of her phone lines), and Mr. Ogunbajo went unanswered, each call met with the same unsettling silence.
“Suddenly, I called the driver who was to pick us up when we landed with the chopper. If you notice, I still refer it to us because every time I still see myself flying with them, The driver then said 30 minutes ago we cannot see them on the weather again.”
