Nigerian financier’s family sues over fatal US crash
A US helicopter charter company is being sued over a crash in February that killed the former boss of Nigeria’s stock exchange, Abimbola Ogunbanjo.
He had been travelling to Las Vegas to watch the Super Bowl when the helicopter went down in southern California.
Five others were also killed in the crash, including Herbert Wigwe, the co-founder of Access Bank – Nigeria’s largest bank.
Mr Ogunbanjo’s family are seeking compensation, including money for funeral expenses.
In the lawsuit, filed in a US court on Wednesday, the family accuses the charter company Orbic Air LL of flying in unsuitable weather conditions.
Local police said the weather was poor, with reports of rain and snow showers in the area.
“Helicopters do not do very well in snow and ice,” Andrew C Robb, the lawyer representing the Ogunbanjo family, told the Associated Press news agency.
“This flight was entirely preventable, and we don’t know why they took off.”
He added that the family wants “answers and accountability”.