Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, Herbert Wigwe
By Victory Oghene
Barely eight months after the demise of the former Group Managing Director of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, his family members are at daggers drawn over his multi billion naira property.
NATIONAL WAVES gathered that Herbert who died alongside his wife, Doreen and son, Chizi on Friday, February 9, 2024, in a helicopter accident in the United States of America left behind a multi billion naira property.
So conspicuous is the development that a contentious legal battle, is emerging over the execution of Wigwe’s will.
According to a report by the Daily Independent, Herbert Wigwe’s parents have filed a caveat at the Probate Registry, seeking to challenge the distribution of his estate as outlined in his will. The caveat was reportedly filed under the direction of Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, Herbert’s father, and supported by an affidavit from Christian Chukwuka Wigwe, who claims to be Herbert’s cousin.
This legal manoeuvre aims to alter the directives set forth by the deceased regarding the administration of his estate.
Pastor Shyngle Wigwe allegedly requested that 20% of Herbert’s estate be allocated to him and other family members, a move that contradicts Herbert’s will, which stipulates that his wealth be distributed solely among his children. The will was lodged at the Ikeja Probate Court prior to Herbert’s untimely passing.
Since the death of Dr. Wigwe, social media has become a battleground for conflicting narratives about the family dynamics. Observers note an apparent shift from mourning to entitlement among certain family members, raising questions about their motivations during this period of grief.
Reports also highlight troubling incidents within the family, including the arrest of Emeka Wigwe, one of Herbert’s brothers, at Panti Police Station by their father – Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, following a dispute with another sibling.
This incident reportedly stemmed from a heated argument over family matters.
As friends and associates continue to mourn Dr. Wigwe’s passing, the unfolding family tensions have sparked public interest and concern. The situation reflects deeper issues within the Wigwe family that were previously concealed by Herbert’s public success and stature in the banking industry.
As the legal proceedings unfold, it remains to be seen how this dispute will impact the legacy of Dr. Herbert Wigwe and his surviving children.
In a related development, a prominent lawyer and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jesutega Onokpasa, in a piece titled
‘There is no need to fight over Herbert Wigwe’s Will’ advised the Wigwe family to literally sheath their sword and come to compromise over the property left behind by the deceased . He wrote
“I just heard that the parents of our brother, the late Herbert Wigwe, have gone to court to contest his will.Herbert Wigwe would naturally had envisaged that he would bury his parents and not the other way round.
“Unfortunately, our dearly departed brother died before his beloved parents. In that case, they are entitled to a share of his wealth, being the ones who gave birth to him and made him who he was by the most Divine Grace and Providence of Almighty God.
“Nothing is more disgusting than people fighting over the property of a diseased person – property they did not earn. We are Niger Deltans and we have a saying that where there is no greed, even the leg of an ant can be shared.
“The Wigwes are one family and Herbert left far more than enough to go around. I enjoin Herbert’s children to embrace their grandparents for they are the ones most solidly on their side at this time.
“We have culture – we do not fight our parents, not to talk of our grandparents.We do not disgrace our parents, neither do we dishonour our grandparents.
“May the Good Lord Jesus bring healing, reconciliation and unity to the house of the Wigwes.May Herbert’s adorable children be embraced by the Holy Spirit, Almighty God, The Giver of Life – they will live long and be truly blessed and fully alive.
“The untimely death that took their parents, sibling and family friend will never find them in Jesus Most Holy and Almighty Name. May the souls of the faithful departed, rest in the Most Holy Bosom of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
“My dear Wigwes, you are one: please take this unnecessary case out of court and embrace yourselves as the children of God that you are.”
