Joyce Wigwe, elder sister of the late Herbert Wigwe, has spoken about what led to the court case regarding access to her late brother’s children and handling his estate.
In an interview with TV360 Exclusive, Joyce revealed that the family has a feud with Aigboje AIG Imoukhuede, Wigwe’s close friend and business associate, 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 de@th, a legal dispute emerged concerning the administration of his estate.
In November 2024, his father, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, 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, Wigwe’s close business partner.
“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.
“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,” Joyce recalled.
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.
“They would come to the house and take Daddy into the room… and my dad was like, that’s fine, he can handle it,” she said.
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.
“He refused… each time we asked, he said, ‘Oh, I’m bringing it, oh, I’m travelling,’” she said.
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. 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.
On February 9, 2024, Herbert Wigwe, along with his wife Doreen and their 29-year-old son Chizi died in a helicopter crash near Nipton, California. The family was en route from Palm Springs International Airport to Boulder City, Nevada, intending to attend Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
The crash also claimed the lives of former Nigerian Exchange Group Plc Chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo and two crew members.
