Grand Dad Drags Grand Daughter To Court Over Late Wigwe’s Inheritance
The dispute over the estate of the late Herbert Wigwe, former Group Managing Director and CEO of Access Bank, has taken a fresh turn as his 90-year-old father, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, challenges his 26-year-old granddaughter, Otutochi Wigwe, in court over property and guardianship rights.
The legal battle, which has now advanced to the Court of
Appeal, began after the Lagos State High Court dismissed an application filed
by Pastor Wigwe, seeking interim reliefs regarding the management of his late
son’s estate and guardianship of Herbert Wigwe’s minor children.
Lagos High Court
Rejects Pastor Wigwe’s Interim Application
On February 6, 2025, Justice A.O. Adeyemi of the Lagos State
High Court, Family/Probate Division in Ikeja, ruled against Pastor Shyngle Wigwe’s
request to be appointed as an interim administrator of his late son’s estate.
The application also sought the appointment of Otutochi Wigwe (Herbert Wigwe’s
daughter), Uche Wigwe (Herbert’s brother), and two professional firms—Zee’s
Trust Company and PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited—as interim estate managers.
In addition to the estate administration, Pastor Wigwe
requested joint guardianship of Herbert Wigwe’s minor children, which would
have given him oversight of their welfare. However, the court rejected these
requests, stating that the reliefs sought were not justified.
Justice Adeyemi pointed out that the claims made in Pastor
Wigwe’s application were largely identical to those in an ongoing substantive
suit. Furthermore, the court referred to an existing judgment that had already
appointed Otutochi Wigwe as the legal guardian of the deceased’s minor
children.
Appeal Filed to
Challenge High Court Ruling
The appellants argue 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.
They have cited Section 24 of the Administration of Estate
Law of Lagos State, 2015, which empowers courts to appoint interim
administrators when necessary.
With the matter now before the Court of Appeal, legal
experts suggest the case could set a precedent on estate management and family
guardianship rights in Nigeria. The ongoing legal proceedings are being closely
watched as they could have significant implications for inheritance laws and
family estate administration in the country.