The co-founder of Access Bank, one of the largest banks in Nigeria, was among six people killed in a helicopter crash in California on Friday.

Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, and a former president of the Nigerian stock exchange were all killed in the crash.

President Bola Tinubu described the death of Mr Wigwe as an “overwhelming tragedy”.

Investigators are scouring the site in southern Californian desert to determine the cause of the crash.

The chartered helicopter was on its way from from Palm Springs to Boulder City in Nevada when it went down about 96km (60 miles) from Las Vegas.

According to Nigerian media, the 57-year-old banker was on his way to Las Vegas to attend Sunday’s Super Bowl.

The San Bernardino county sheriff’s department said the crash site was near Nipton, on the edge of the Mojave Desert Preserve. The weather was poor, with reports of rain and snow showers in the area.

Mr Wigwe founded Access Bank in 1989. It became the largest bank in Nigeria in 2018 after it acquired its main competitor, Diamond Bank.