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

Following the dismissal of the application, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe and his co-applicants filed a notice of appeal on February 13, 2025.

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.

 

First Lady, Remi Tinubu Blocks EFCC Arrest Of Impeached Lagos Speaker, Obasa

Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, has reportedly intervened to shield impeached Lagos Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, from arrest and prosecution over a multibillion-naira fraud investigation, sources within the presidency have revealed.

According to reports from The Gazette, anti-graft agents from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been prepared to move against Obasa upon his arrival in Nigeria.

However, sources disclosed that Mrs Tinubu directed that Obasa should not be arrested or prosecuted now, citing the need to maintain party unity within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State.

A presidency official said anonymously, “She said he’s useful to them in Agege and its environs, and they don’t want an immediate crack in their ranks now.

“She said they should continue their investigation but hold off now on touching him because he’s useful to the party.”

Obasa, impeached on January 13 over budgetary fraud and other corruption allegations, is believed to wield significant political influence in key Lagos constituencies such as Agege and Alimosho, which played a decisive role in the 2023 elections.

Tinubu reportedly argued that Obasa’s stronghold in these areas is crucial to President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, and his arrest at this time could destabilize the party’s structure in the state.

It was learnt that the EFCC has been investigating Obasa’s financial dealings since 2020, following reports by The Gazette detailing his alleged illicit acquisition of assets and mismanagement of public funds.

 Although Obasa was not prosecuted then, fresh corruption allegations linked to budgetary misappropriation led to his recent impeachment.

 EFCC insiders had indicated he was ripe for prosecution this time, but Tinubu’s intervention halted their move.

 Sources within the anti-graft agency confirmed that they had been awaiting a presidential go-ahead to arrest Obasa, but that signal never came—an indication of the First Lady’s influence in the matter.

Despite the ongoing corruption allegations, Obasa made a daring return to Nigeria from the U.S. last week, receiving a rousing welcome from supporters.

At a press conference following his return, Obasa denied all allegations against him, insisting that his impeachment was unconstitutional and politically motivated.

“If you want to claim that I’m corrupt, please prove it, let us see it,” Obasa declared.

In the 2023 general elections, President Tinubu lost Alimosho to the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who secured 71,327 votes compared to Tinubu’s 62,909 votes.

Tinubu is reportedly keen on strengthening APC’s hold on Lagos ahead of 2027, making Obasa a strategic political asset despite his corruption allegations.

 

Obasa’s Removal Saga: 

DSS Release Over 30 Lagos Lawmakers After 6hrs of Interrogation

. As Lawmakers Allege Seizure, Destruction of Phones During Interrogation

. Group Condemns Arrest, Says It’s Ploy To Undermine Democracy

The Department of State Services (DSS) has released all members of the Lagos State House of Assembly who had been detained in connection with a petition written by the former Speaker of the House, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa.

According to reliable sources, over 30 lawmakers were interrogated by the DSS for more than six hours on Thursday, January 30, 2025, regarding a petition filed by Obasa concerning his removal as Speaker on January 13.

The DSS investigation followed Obasa’s claims that his ousting was politically motivated and involved misconduct, abuse of office, and financial mismanagement.

Despite the lengthy questioning, all the detained lawmakers were released late Thursday evening, around 7 pm.

After their release, the lawmakers chose not to provide any details about the nature of the questioning or the petition itself.

Instead, they described the encounter with the DSS as a “friendly visit” and indicated that the issue would be formally addressed in due course on the floor of the House.

Obasa, who had been Speaker since 2015, was removed by a majority vote of the lawmakers on January 13, 2025, amid serious allegations of misconduct.

His removal came during a period when he was absent from Nigeria, having travelled to the United States.

Upon his return to Lagos on Saturday, Obasa strongly rejected the corruption allegations levelled against him and criticized the process that led to his ouster.

He urged the lawmakers to follow the “right process” in addressing his removal, while maintaining that he had been unfairly targeted.

Obasa’s removal and the ongoing political tensions have sparked significant controversy in the Lagos State political landscape, with calls for transparency in how leadership changes are handled within the legislative body.

Meanwhile, a socio-political group in Lagos, the Concerned Citizens of Lagos have cried out over what it described as a systematic attempt to undermine democracy in the state.

The group’s reaction followed the alleged arrest and detention of some members of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

In a statement e-signed by Omoba Murphy Ajibola on behalf of Lagosians and Concerned Citizens, the group decried the recent developments, highlighting the detention of members of the House.

It was reliably gathered that DSS operatives are currently making frantic efforts to detain Hon Abiodun Tobun and Hon Gbolahan Yishawu.

While on call at the DSS office, operatives snatched and smatched Tobun’s phone.

 Poor Attitude To APC:

 Isolo Council Boss, Olasoju Begs For Forgiveness

Embattled Isolo council chairman, Otunba Adebayo Olasoju was forced to eat the humble pie as the egg heads of the All Progressives Congress (APC) found him guilty of indifferent attitude towards the progress of the party in his council area.

The council boss who came to answer charges of nonchalance preferred against him by the Isolo chapter of the ruling party literally begged for forgiveness as the APC State Chairman, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi and his deputy reined on him as he was confronted by deluge of complaints and misdemeanors by local party chairman, Barr. Gani Bello.

At a closed door reconciliatory meeting held on Tuesday January 28th 2025 at the party secretariat, both men had appeared before the state party chairman and his deputy following a petition written by Isolo APC against the council chairman alleging indifference to party's progress.

Though details of the meeting were not immediately known but sources said Otunba Olasoju was lampooned by Hon. Ojelabi for not taking party affairs and welfare of members as top priority.

Hon Ojelabi reportedly blamed the loss of confidence of party members on the appalling poor attitude of the council boss to the party and the leaders.

The state chairman noted that the council boss cannot achieve anything without the platform created by the party. Hence, he charged him to take the welfare and progress of the party and it's members as top priority.

Going forward, Otunba Olasoju reportedly begged for forgiveness, promising to improve on the relationship between the council and the party starting with the complete renovation of the party secretariat.

He also promised to offset the backlogs of monthly subvention to the party 

In order to bridge the gap between the council and the party, Otunba Olasoju was said to have pledged to introduce the small scale business grants for the benefit of party members.

He reaffirmed this commitment at yesterday's LGA meeting held at Ansar-Ud Deen Primary School, Isolo  stating that the grants would be given to seven selected party members from each ward.

Like a hen dripping from cold water, Olasoju was astounded when the state party helsman reportedly confronted him with similar complaints from influential party leaders from Isolo.

 At this point, a humbled Olasoju pleaded for forgiveness, promising to turn a new leaf. Perhaps, the new development may have forced the party to lessen the noose on him as he desperately searches for the APC return ticket ahead of the 

 

UBA Launches Free Knowledge Series, Don't Let the New Tax Laws Catch You Off Guard

 Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, is set to host a Knowledge Series webinar specifically dedicated towards informing and educating small and medium business owners on the 2024 withholding Tax Regulations recently implemented by the federal government. 

This special webinar has the theme ‘2024 Withholding Tax Regulations, Specific Emphasis on How They Affect SMEs’ and is scheduled to hold online on Thursday, January 30, 2025, by 12noon prompt. Business owners and SMEs who will like to be a part of this eye-opening event can access the session on Zoom via the link:  UBA Knowledge Series. 

The knowledge Series is a regular seminar/workshop organised by the bank as part of its capacity-building initiatives, where leading business leaders and professionals share well-researched insights on relevant topics and best practices for running successful businesses.

This edition seeks to educate business owners on the implications of the new tax regulations and how UBA's offerings can effectively support their growth. 

Renowned leaders from diverse industries, including, UBA’s Head, SME Banking, Babatunde Ajayi; Financial Analysts with Anderson Consulting, Adeyemi Adediran and Vincent Okoukoni will be on ground to share their rich insights and explain how businesses can thrive in the new tax regime.

UBA’s Group Head, Retail and Digital Banking, Shamsideen Fashola who spoke ahead of the webinar emphasised the importance of this edition, noting that it will provide a platform for businesses, especially SMEs, to learn more about the new tax regime, implications for their business and attendant benefits for them and the economy at large.

He said, “Getting first -hand knowledge from experts on this important subject, as put together by UBA, will be invaluable for any business owner looking to build a lasting enterprise”

Also speaking on the upcoming workshop, UBA’s Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo noted that the sessions frequently organised by the bank, continues to resonate with SME’s and business owners, and has in more ways than one, helped them take major leaps that has helped engender success.

Ladipo said, “At UBA, we remain resolute in our commitment to empowering businesses of all sizes, and that is why we have decided that we will help guide our customers towards making better business decisions and embracing more opportunities in 2025” that will take them to new highs. 

“We have assembled an esteemed panel of speakers who will do justice to this topic by sharing their vast wealth of experience and insights on how best to navigate the new tax regime,” she noted, adding that “this is a must-attend event for anyone serious about the long-term success of their enterprise.”

United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.