A 90-year-old Pastor Shyngle Wiwe and Chukwuka Wigwe had approached the court asking that an administrator be appointed to head Herbert Wigwe’s estate.
The defendants in the case are Uche Wigwe, Aigboje AIG Imoukhiede, and Miss Otutochi Channel Wigwe who is Herbert Wigwe’s 26-year-old daughter.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that an estate administrator is a person appointed by the court to manage the estate of a deceased person who didn’t leave a will or if there is a dispute in the will.
The suit was filed before Justice A.O. Adeyemi of the Lagos State High Court.
How it started
In October 2024, reports surfaced that Pastor Shyngle Wigwe’s family had a concealed interest in the late banker’s children’s inheritance and allegedly attempted to disinherit them by altering Herbert Wigwe’s will. However, the family strongly denied these claims.
Subsequently, a caveat challenging the late banker’s will surfaced online. It was filed by Christian Chukwuka Wigwe, who claimed to be a cousin of the deceased, on behalf of the deceased’s father, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe.
During the High Court proceedings, the claimants’ counsel 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, the defendants—including Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chris Wigwe, and Otutochi Wigwe, represented by Paul Usoro SAN—objected, and the court ultimately heard the matter in public.
Although the hearings proceeded discreetly, the ruling’s subsequent widespread publication has drawn concern, particularly given its impact on the aged parents and minor children.
Counsel for the claimants A. O. Eghobamien SAN expressed disappointment at the unexpected media attention, which they believe has only intensified tensions.
On February 6, 2025, Justice A.O. Adeyemi ruled against the application by Christian Wigwe and Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, for the appointment of interim administrators pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The court held that the requested reliefs were too similar to those sought in the main case.
A related suit, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe v. Independent Newspaper Ltd. (ID/12372/GCMW/2024), seeks an injunction against further media reports after a publication alleged that Pastor Wigwe sought a 20% share of the inheritance.
Pastor Wigwe, other reject High Court ruling, head to appeal court
Meanwhile, after losing the legal battle over the estate of the, Pator Wigwe and others have appeal the decision of the Lagos State High Court, BussinessDay reports.
The notice of appeal was filed and dated on the February 13, 2025.
The appellants argue that the court failed to distinguish between interim reliefs—meant to preserve the estate and provide for dependents—and the final reliefs determining the distribution of assets.
They cite Section 24 of the Administration of Estate Law of Lagos State, 2015, which empowers courts to appoint interim administrators where necessary.
Additionally, they challenge the reliance on a prior ex parte guardianship order, contending that it excluded the children’s grandparents without prior notice.
They maintain that their request merely sought to include them as co-guardians rather than overturn the existing order.
The claimants also appeal the denial of a Norwich Pharmacal order, which would have compelled financial institutions, Access bank and another financial institution to disclose Herbert Wigwe’s financial holdings.
They argue that, with probate pending, certain assets remain unaccounted for and under the control of the defendants without full transparency.
Tragic death of Wigwe and others
Herbert Wigwe, the co-founder of Access Bank, one of the largest banks in Nigeria, was among six people killed on Friday, February 9, 2024 after the Eurocopter EC130 in which they were travelling crashed near Nipton, California, USA.
Also involved in the crash were his wife Doreen Chizoba Wigwe, his 29-year old son Chizi Wigwe, former Nigerian Exchange Group Plc Chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo, and two crew members.
The were said to be on their way from Palm Springs International Airport to Boulder City, Nevada on a charter flight operated by Orbic Air to attend the Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
The remains of Wigwe and his family were repatriated to Nigeria, where they were buried in his hometown in Isiokpo, Rivers State, on 9 March, following a week-long wake in Lagos that was attended by several prominent personalities, including billionaire and Africa’s richest person Aliko Dangote, who pledged to rename the road leading to his oil refinery in his honor, amidst other tributes
Wigwe founded Access Bank in 1989. It became the largest bank in Nigeria in 2018 after it acquired its main competitor, Diamond Bank.
In recent years, he had been working to expand across the continent, acquiring banks in countries including Kenya, South Africa and Botswana.
He was planning to open a new banking service in Asia in the first quarter of 2024.
