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Legal Battle Over Herbert Wigwe’s Estate Moves to Appeal Court
The dispute over the estate of the late former Group Managing Director and CEO of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, has escalated to the Court of Appeal following the Lagos State High Court’s dismissal of an application for interim reliefs.
Herbert Wigwe’s 90-year-old father, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, has taken legal action concerning the guardianship of his grandchildren and the management of properties belonging to the late banking executive.
On February 6, 2025, Justice A.O. Adeyemi of the Lagos State High Court Family/Probate Court in Ikeja rejected an application filed by Christian Wigwe and Pastor Shyngle Wigwe. The application sought the appointment of interim administrators to oversee Herbert Wigwe’s estate. According to ThisDay, the case, allegedly initiated by Emeka Wigwe, was filed under suit number ID/7735FPM/2024 against Access Bank Plc, Coronation Merchant Bank Ltd, and United Securities Ltd.
Additionally, an order dated November 18, 2024, listed several defendants, including Uche Wigwe, former Access Bank GMD Aigboje A.I.G. Imoukhuede, and Miss Otutochi Channel Wigwe, Herbert Wigwe’s daughter and Pastor Shyngle Wigwe’s granddaughter. She was later joined in the case by a court order.
The claimants sought a court order to appoint Otutochi Wigwe, Uche Wigwe, Shyngle Wigwe, and two professionals—Zedra Trust Company (Isle of Man) and PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited—as interim administrators of Herbert Wigwe’s estate, pending the resolution of the main lawsuit.
They also requested an order placing Herbert Wigwe’s minor children—Chituru David Wigwe, Wegu & Hannah Wigwe, and Okachi Great Wigwe—under the joint guardianship of Otutochi Wigwe, Uche Wigwe, Emeka Wigwe, Shyngle Wigwe, and the two professional firms, with Pastor Shyngle Wigwe overseeing their welfare.
Additionally, the claimants sought authorization for the interim administrators to manage the welfare of Wigwe’s dependents, liaise with third parties on financial and property interests, submit monthly reports to the court, and obtain full financial disclosures from Access Bank, Coronation Merchant Bank Ltd, and United Securities Ltd regarding the late banker’s assets.
However, after hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Adeyemi ruled that the claimants were not entitled to the reliefs sought. The court determined that their requests closely resembled issues raised in the main lawsuit, making them unsustainable.
Following the Lagos State High Court’s dismissal of the application on February 6, 2025, BusinessDay reports that Pastor Shyngle Wigwe and his co-applicants filed an appeal on February 13, 2025.
The appellants argue that the lower court failed to differentiate between interim reliefs, meant to preserve the estate and support dependents, and final reliefs determining the actual distribution of assets.
They cite Section 24 of the Administration of Estate Law of Lagos State, 2015, which grants courts the authority to appoint interim administrators when necessary.
Furthermore, they contest the reliance on a previous ex parte guardianship order, claiming it excluded the children’s grandparents without prior notification. They maintain that their request merely aimed to include them as co-guardians rather than overturn the existing order.
The appellants also challenge the court’s refusal to grant a Norwich Pharmacal order, which would have compelled financial institutions, including Access Bank, to disclose Herbert Wigwe’s financial holdings. They argue that, with probate still pending, some assets remain unaccounted for, leaving the defendants in control without full transparency.
Herbert Wigwe, 57, tragically lost his life on February 9, 2024, when a Eurocopter EC130 carrying six people crashed near Nipton, California. The accident also claimed the lives of his wife, Doreen Chizoba Wigwe, their 29-year-old son, Chizi Wigwe, former Nigerian Exchange Group Plc Chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo, and two crew members.
The legal battle over his estate now continues in the Court of Appeal.
