- Shyngle Wigwe, father of late Herbert Wigwe, and Christian Wigwe filed an application for interim administrators of his estate
- The Lagos State High Court rejected their claim, citing the ongoing legal proceedings over the validity of the deceased’s will
- The court referenced an existing ruling appointing a legal guardian for Herbert Wigwe's minor children, which could not be revisited
A year after the tragic death of Dr Herbert Wigwe, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, his father, Shyngle Wigwe, initiated legal proceedings against his daughter, Tochi Wigwe, in a dispute over his estate.
Justice A. O. Adeyemi of the Lagos State High Court Family/Probate Court in Ikeja delivered a ruling On Tuesday, February 6, 2025, dismissing the application which sought the appointment of interim administrators for the estate of the late Herbert Wigwe.
“The Court has listened to the submissions of the learned Senior Counsel to the parties in this suit, and it is of the view that the issue for consideration is whether the Claimants/Applicants are entitled to the reliefs sought before this Honourable Court,” Justice Adeyemi stated.
Claimants request appointment of interim administrators, joint guardianship
The applicants, acting on a suit allegedly initiated by Emeka Wigwe, had filed suit number ID/7735FPM/2024 against several entities, including Access Bank Plc, Coronation Merchant Bank Ltd, and United Securities Ltd. The suit also named Uche Wigwe, Aigboje A.I.G. Imoukhuede, and Otutochi Channel Wigwe as defendants.
The claimants requested the appointment of Otutochi Wigwe, Uche Wigwe, Shyngle Wigwe, and two professional firms; Zedra Trust Company (Isle of Man) and PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited as interim administrators of the estate while the main case remained unresolved. Additionally, they sought joint guardianship of Herbert Wigwe’s minor children by these individuals.
In his judgment, Justice Adeyemi noted that the applicants' claims mirrored those of the substantive case and were thus inappropriate for resolution at this interlocutory stage.
The court also referred to a previous ruling, which had already appointed a legal guardian for the deceased’s minor children. Given that no appeal was pending, the court concluded it could not revisit this judgment at this stage.
Judge dismisses application for interim administrators
Recall that 57-year-old Dr Herbert Wigwe, his wife Doreen Chizoba Wigwe, his son Chizi Wigwe, former Nigerian Exchange Group Plc Chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo, and two crew members died in a tragic incident on February 9, 2024, when a Eurocopter EC130 crashed near Nipton, California.
Justice Adeyemi ruled that the appointment of interim administrators and guardians was part of the ongoing substantive case and could not be addressed at this point.
“The Contention of Learned Senior Counsel for the Claimants/ Applicants that given the issues involved in this suit, there might be a protracted trial is not only unfounded but also preemptive.
“This is because the issues involved particularly that of the minor children of the estate have prompted the court to grant an accelerated hearing in this sult from the beginning as shown from the abridged days granted to parties,” the court held
The court encouraged the legal representatives to expedite the process and avoid unnecessary delays in the best interest of the minor children involved.
“The issue raised above is therefore resolved against the applicants. Consequently, the application dated 28th November 2024, being unsustainable is accordingly dismissed,” it stated.
Herbert Wigwe: Nigerians honour his legacy 1 year after demise
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Presidents and governors paid tributes to Herbert Wigwe’s memory in commemoration of his death.
According to the report, Nigerians were not left out as they took to social media to honour Wigwe’s legacy.