‘My Dad Didn’t Sue His Granddaughter Over Inheritance’ – Late Herbert Wigwe’s Sister Speaks On Family Feud Over Brother’s Estates
Joyce Wigwe, the elder sister of the late former group managing director and CEO of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, has addressed claims that their father, Shyngle Wigwe, filed a legal action against his granddaughter, Tochi.
Tochi is the late Mr Wigwe’s second child and first daughter.
Mr Wigwe, his wife, Chizoba, and their son, Chizi, died in a helicopter crash in February 2024 near the California-Nevada border in the United States (US). Six people were also killed in the crash.
Recently, multiple online platforms reported that Mr Wigwe’s 90-year-old father sued his granddaughter over her father’s assets and is at the centre of an alleged dispute regarding the distribution of his late son’s estate.
Back in October 2024, it was also gathered that a Lagos State High Court Probate Registry issued an ultimatum to one Christian Wigwe to explain his interest in the estate of his cousin, the late Wigwe.
Christian, in an affidavit dated 7 October 2024 and filed at the Lagos State High Court Probate Registry, accused late Wigwe’s business associate and close friend, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, of assuming the role that belonged to the deceased’s father.
However, during an interview on TV360, an online news channel in Lagos, Joyce revealed that the family has a feud with Aigboje AIG Imoukhuede, not with Herbert’s children.
“I don’t know where to start… from when Herbert passed on or not… we didn’t realise there was a disagreement,” she said.
Following Wigwe’s death, a legal dispute emerged concerning the administration of his estate.
In November 2024, his father, Pastor Shyngle, and cousin, Christian Chukwuka Wigwe, filed a motion seeking the appointment of interim administrators for the estate.
They expressed concerns over potential mismanagement and requested oversight of the guardianship of Herbert’s minor children.
However, in February 2025, the Lagos State High Court dismissed their application, ruling that the claimants lacked the legal standing to intervene, as they were not beneficiaries under Herbert’s will.
The court upheld the provisions of the will, which appointed Herbert’s cousin, Uche Wigwe, and business partner, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, as trustees and personal representatives.
Additionally, the court affirmed the existing guardianship arrangement for Herbert’s minor children, emphasising the importance of adhering to the deceased’s documented wishes.
Joyce explained that their father was reassured by Herbert’s friends that they were also his “children” and this made the family let their guards down.
She noted that her parents had always welcomed Herbert’s friends and spouses into the family, including the family of Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.
“My parents were particularly close to AIG’s (Aigboje) family as well, particularly his late mum, may her soul rest in peace,”
she stated.
However, tensions became apparent during Herbert’s funeral when Aigboje and his wife allegedly prevented the family from getting close to the children. Joyce recalled:
“It was obvious from the funeral that AIG and his wife kept flanking the kids and would not let us get close to the kids.”
She mentioned that even attempts to adjust seating arrangements were overridden by Access Bank staff, following instructions from their superiors.
After the funeral, Joyce claimed AIG held confidential meetings with her father, accompanied by his lawyer, barring other family members. She said:
“They would come to the house and take Daddy into the room… and my dad was like, that’s fine, he can handle it.”
Joyce questioned the secrecy, given that she is a lawyer and could have been involved. During these meetings, AIG allegedly requested that Joyce’s father sign documents related to Herbert’s estate.
According to Joyce, her niece, Herbert’s daughter, Tochi, had chosen to work with her grandfather on the estate.
“She said she wants to work with her grandfather on this thing,” Joyce said.
However, the lawyer handling the matter, identified as Pairo, reportedly refused to leave a copy of the signed documents with the family.
Each time the family requested the documents, Joyce alleged the lawyer provided excuses. She said:
“He refused… each time we asked, he said, ‘Oh, I’m bringing it, oh, I’m travelling.’”
Joyce expressed frustration at the lack of transparency, especially as a legal professional herself.
Despite the estate issues, she confirmed that the family maintained a close relationship with Herbert’s children.
“We’ve always had a close relationship with the children,” she said, adding that her niece had been advised to keep copies of any documents she signed.
Joyce revealed that the last conversation she had with her niece was when she reminded her to keep copies of any paperwork.
“She said, ‘Yes, Auntie, I will,’ and that was the last conversation I had with her,” Joyce stated, suggesting that unforeseen developments had since occurred.
Joyce added that her father’s fight is not with his granddaughter. She explained that the issue is that AIG stopped providing for their father and he claimed he stopped doing so because he believed Herbert’s father was using the monthly stipend to hire lawyers to sue him.
Narrating what truly transpired, Ms Wigwe stated:
“My father would never fight his child. If you look at our pleadings, we requested that Grandpa want to work alongside his granddaughter to nurture and raise the younger ones. It was never against Tochi—it was about working with her. Anyone who takes the time to read our pleadings will see that we were advocating for unity and cooperation with Tochi.
“Paul Usoro—the Chairman of Access Bank and the lawyer representing Tochi, the children, and others- applied with the court to have Tochi join the suit. But why would we sue Tochi? She cannot access the documents concerning Access Bank and Herbert’s estate. Those documents are with Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Paul Usoro, and Uche—that is why they were the defendants in the case.”
Consequently, the family said they believe Herbert’s estate has enough money to provide for his parents as he did when he was alive.
So they decided to file an interim application in the court to let them know Herbert’s interest in Access Bank, his life insurance, and all the things that pertain to Herbert.
Explaining how close their family is, she stated that when Herbert’s first son Chizi graduated from university, the entire Wigwe family and their children were there for the graduation as is their family culture because Herbert valued family.
Watch Joyce address the feud in the video below: