The criminal struggle over the property of the past due former Group Managing Director and CEO of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, has moved to the Court of Appeal following the Lagos State High Court’s dismissal of an software for intervening time reliefs.
Herbert Wigwe’s 90-year- vintage father, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, is in courtroom docket over his grandchildren’s guardianship and control of houses belonging to the past due Access Bank GMD/ CEO.
On February 6, 2025, Justice A.O. Adeyemi of the Lagos State High Court Family/Probate Court in Ikeja, disregarded the software filed through Christian Wigwe and Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, looking for the appointment of intervening time directors withinside the property of the past due former Group Managing Director and CEO of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, in keeping with ThisDay.
The candidates , Christian Wigwe and Pastor Shyngle Wigwe had, in an movement allegedly orchestrated with the aid of using Emeka Wigwe, filed match range ID/7735FPM/2024 in opposition to Access Bank Plc, Coronation Merchant Bank Ltd, and United Securities Ltd.
Also named as defendants beneathneath an order dated November 18, 2024, had been Uche Wigwe, Aigboje A.I.G. Imoukhuede, and Miss Otutochi Channel Wigwe (Herbert Wigwe’s daughter and Pastor Shyngle Wigwe’s granddaughter), who become joined with the aid of using an Order of Court.
The claimants sought an order for the appointment of Otutochi Wigwe, Uche Wigwe, Shyngle Wigwe, and professionals – Zedra Trust Company (Isle of Man), a subsidiary of Zedra Corporate Solutions UK Limited (International Professional), and Pricewaterhouse Coopers Limited (Local Professional) – as intervening time directors of Herbert Wigwe’s property , pending the decision of the noticeable match .
Additionally, the candidates asked an order setting Wigwe’s minor children (Chituru David Wigwe, Wegu & Hannah Wigwe, and Okachi Great Wigwe) beneathneath the joint guardianship of Otutochi Wigwe, Uche Wigwe, Emeka Wigwe, Shyngle Wigwe, and the 2 professionals, with Shyngle Wigwe overseeing their welfare.
The claimants additionally sought authorisation for the intervening time directors to make certain the protection and welfare of Herbert Wigwe’s dependents, liaise with 0.33 events concerning economic or assets hobbies , publish month-to-month reviews to the courtroom docket , and achieve complete disclosure from Access Bank Plc, Coronation Merchant Bank Ltd, and United Securities Ltd concerning stocks or economic hobbies hung on behalf of the deceased, according to ThisDay.
After listening to submissions from each events , Justice Adeyemi dominated that the claimants had been now no longer entitled to the reliefs sought. In the ruling, the courtroom docket resolved all problems raised with the aid of using the candidates and deemed their claims unsustainable. The courtroom docket held that the asked reliefs had been too just like the ones raised in a noticeable match .
After Pastor Shyngle Wigwe’s software become brushed off with the aid of using the Lagos State High Court on Feb. 6, a observe of enchantment become reportedly filed and dated on February 13, 2025, BusinessDay reviews .
The appellants (Pastor Shyngle Wigwe and co) argue that the courtroom docket failed to differentiate among intervening time reliefs— intended to hold the property and offer for dependents—and the very last reliefs figuring out the distribution of property .
They cite Section 24 of the Administration of Estate Law of Lagos State, 2015, which empowers courts to hire intervening time directors wherein necessary.
Additionally, they assignment the reliance on a previous ex parte guardianship order, contending that it excluded the children’s grandparents with out previous observe .
They hold that their request simply sought to encompass them as co-guardians in preference to overturn the prevailing order.
The claimants additionally enchantment the denial of a Norwich Pharmacal order, which could have forced economic institutions, Access Bank and any other economic organization to reveal Herbert Wigwe’s economic holdings.
They argue that, with probate pending, positive property continue to be unaccounted for and beneathneath the manipulate of the defendants with out complete transparency.
Recall that 57-year- vintage Herbert Wigwe become amongst six individuals who misplaced their lives on February 9, 2024, while the Eurocopter EC130 they had been touring in crashed close to Nipton, California. The tragic incident additionally claimed the lives of his wife, Doreen Chizoba Wigwe, his 29-year- vintage son, Chizi Wigwe, former Nigerian Exchange Group Plc Chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, and team members.
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