* As battle for assets tear them apart
* Daughter allegedly snubs grandparents
* Family accuses Aig-Imoukhuede.of secret deals with late wigwe’s assets
* Brother arrested as court battle begins
About a year after his death, the former Chairman of Access Bank PLC, late Hebert Wigwe’s family is set for showdown with his successor and business partner, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, DAVID MAXWELL writes.
When Dr Hebert Wigwe died on February 11, 2024, many industry watchers and stakeholders were waiting to see how the partnership between him and Aigboje AIG Imoukhuede, the two colleagues and friends who later became brothers would fare after the demise of one.
This is because the success of the partnership of the two friends was a surprise to a number of people who posited from the start that friendship and business are like oil and water – they never mix.
Unable to reach an amicable resolution about his testament, the feuding parties have turned to the courts to prevent each other from gaining the upper hand, thus triggering legal proceedings that could last for years.
On the one side of the family divide is Wigwe’s extended family, led by his elderly father, Pastor Shygnle Wigwe, while on the other side stands his immediate family, along with the bank.
While the extended family seeks control of the late billionaire’s substantial estate by appointing an administrator, arguing that his children are too young to manage it, his immediate family, particularly his eldest daughter and her supporters, strongly oppose this.
An online newspaper had published in October 2024, that Herbert’s parents filled a caveat at the Probate Registry of the Ikeja High Court, Lagos, seeking to challenge the distribution of his estate as outlined in his will.
According to the report, the affidavit for the relief was filed by Herbert’s father, Pastor Shyngle, and Christian Chukwuka Wigwe, the late banker’s cousin.
The two were said to have prayed the court to alter the directives set down by the deceased regarding the administration of his estate. According to the report, contrary to Herbert’s will, which mandates that his wealth be distributed solely among his children, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe had requested that 20 percent of Herbert’s estate be allotted to him and other family members.
Although that report was outrightly debunked by the Senior Wigwe, who described it as fabricated the nation’s media space was recently awash with reports of a court proceeding in a case between the warring parties at the Ikeja High Court, Lagos, thus confirming initial rumours that all was not well in the late banker’s expanded family.
In court papers, 90-year-old Shyngle Wigwe and Chukwuka Wigwe had approached the Ikeja High Court, Lagos, asking that an administrator be appointed to head Herbert Wigwe’s estate.
Listed as defendants in the case are Herbert Wigwe’s 26-year-old daughter, Miss Otutochi Channel, brother, Uche, and the deceased’s business partner and close confidant, Aigboje AIG Imoukhiede, as administrators and guardians of his two underage children.
Sources said, Dr Wigwe intentionally picked the three because he believed they could protect his legacies.
“Late Herbert had picked five people -;his late wife, Chizoba; late son, Tochi; his first daughter, Chizzy; his junior brother, Uche, and partner, Aigboje AIG-Imoukhiede, to manage his estate in the event of his untimely demise until his other children attain adulthood.
“Unfortunately, Chizoba and Tochi who were supposed to administer his estate with trusted acquaintances died along with him in the crash, leaving only Chizzy behind.”
But it appears the aggrieved family members are not ready to go down without a fight. Some of their demands include the appointment of Pastor Shyngle Wigwe as an interim administrator of his late son’s estate.
Also, the application sought the appointment of Chizzy Wigwe (Herbert’s daughter), Uche (His brother), and two firms – Zee’s Trust Company and PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited – as interim estate managers.
In addition to these demands, the Senior Wigwe demanded joint guardianship of Herbert’s minor children, which would have given him oversight of their welfare.
However, in his ruling delivered on February 6, 2025, Justice A.O. Adeyemi of the Lagos State High Court, Family/Probate Division, Ikeja, ruled against Pastor Shyngle Wigwe’s request to be appointed as an interim administrator of his late son’s estate, saying the reliefs sought were not justified.
The judge also ruled that the claims made in Pastor Wigwe’s application were largely identical to those in an ongoing substantive suit.
He also referred to an existing judgment that had already appointed Otutochi Wigwe as the legal guardian of the deceased’s minor children.
The claimants had requested that the matter be heard in chambers, citing the involvement of minor children and the need for discretion under section 128 of the Child Rights Law, 2007. However, probably believing that hearing the matter in the open would help their case in the court of public opinion, the defendants, represented by Paul Usoro (SAN) objected to this prayer. The objection was sustained by the judge, who ruled that the matter be heard in public.
But Wigwe’s father, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, had reportedly appealed the judgment at the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, and a notice of appeal was filed on February 13, 2025, to challenge the High Court ruling.
In the notice of appeal sighted by our correspondent, the appellants argued that the High Court failed to differentiate between interim reliefs +!meant to preserve the estate and ensure the well-being of dependents – and final reliefs that would ultimately determine the distribution of assets.
In their evidence, they cited Section 24 of the Administration of Estate Law of Lagos State, 2015, which empowers courts to appoint interim administrators when necessary.
They challenged the court’s reliance on a prior ex parte guardianship order, contending that it excluded the children’s grandparents without prior notice. The appellants also maintained that the request merely sought to include them as co-guardians rather than overturn the existing order.
They also appealed the denial of a Norwich Pharmacal order, which would have compelled financial institutions, including Access Bank, to disclose Herbert Wigwe’s financial holdings, arguing that, with probate pending, certain assets remain unaccounted for and under the control of the defendants without full transparency.
With the matter now before the Court of Appeal and substantive cases still pending in various lower courts, legal experts believe that the issue will be protracted, potentially reaching the Supreme Court, and it could take years before it is finally resolved.
Meanwhile, the bad blood generated by the feud has continued to linger. In a viral video trending online, one Emeka Wigwe, said to be the late Herbert’s uncle, tried to stop the late banker’s children from visiting and praying at his graveside in his hometown, Isiokpo ahead of the first anniversary of his death.
In the video, Emeka Wigwe is seen struggling with operatives of the Department of the States Services, DSS, in his bid to prevent the vehicle that conveyed Herbert’s children from exiting their father’s graveyard.
In a related development, Joyce Wigwe, elder sister of the late Herbert Wigwe, has put the blame of the feud on Aigboje AIG Imoukhuede, Wigwe close friend and business associate. In a recent chat with TVC 360 Exclusive, Joyce said: “My parents were particularly close to Aigboje’s family as well, particularly his late mum, may her soul rest in peace,” she stated.
However, tensions became apparent during Herbert’s funeral when Aigboje and his wife allegedly prevented the family from getting close to the children.
“It was obvious from the funeral that Aig and his wife kept flanking the kids and would not let us get close to the kids,” Joyce recalled.
She mentioned that even attempts to adjust seating arrangements were overridden by Access Bank staff, following instructions from their superiors.
Beyond the funeral, Joyce claimed Aig held confidential meetings with her father, accompanied by his lawyer, barring other family members.
“They would come to the house and take Daddy into the room, and my dad was like, that’s fine, he can handle it,” she said.
She questioned the secrecy, given that she is a lawyer and could have been involved, but during these meetings, Aig allegedly requested that Joyce’s father sign documents related to Herbert’s estate.
According to her, her niece, Herbert’s daughter, Tochi, had chosen to work with her grandfather on the estate.
“She said she wants to work with her grandfather on this thing.”
However, the lawyer handling the matter, identified as Pairo, reportedly refused to leave a copy of the signed documents with the family. Joyce therefore said that.even her niece’s snubbing of her grandparents, uncles and aunts was done under duress as she is being manipulated.
Each time the family requested the documents, Joyce alleged the lawyer provided excuses. “He refused, each time we asked, he said, “Oh, I’m bringing it, oh, I’m travelling,'” she said.
Joyce expressed frustration at the lack of transparency, especially as a legal professional herself.
Despite the estate issues, she confirmed that the family maintained a close relationship with Herbert’s children.
“We’ve always had a close relationship with the children,” she said, adding that her niece had been advised to keep copies of any documents she signed.
Joyce revealed that the last conversation she had with her niece was when she reminded her to keep copies of any paperwork.
“She said, “Yes, Auntie, I will,’ and that was the last conversation I had with her,” Joyce stated, suggesting that unforeseen developments had since occurred.
The revelations underscore the complexities involved in managing Herbert Wigwe’s estate and the challenges his immediate family encounters in maintaining a relationship with his children.
Furthermore, drama unfolded at Wigwe University as police officers raided the campus, arresting Emeka Wigwe, the brother of the late Herbert Wigwe, former Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank. The incident, captured in a video shared on X on February 9, showed the campus gates heavily guarded by patrol vehicles. Moments later, security personnel stormed the campus and swiftly took Emeka away, while university staff looked on in helplessness. The arrest is said to be linked to Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the business partner of the late Herbert Wigwe, who has been overseeing the deceased’s estate.
