By Adesina Soyooye
“People we thought of as brothers have really let the family down. Mummy and Daddy trusted them implicitly, but we’ve come to see that they were not to be believed”
By Adesina Soyooye
While Nigerians watch in shock as the family of Herbert Wigwe, until his tragic death, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, inexplicably struggle over his huge assets, seemingly, with his biological children, headed by first child, Toochi Wigwe, 26 years, late Herbert’s sister, Joyce, has lamented the family’s alleged abandonment by their brother’s friends all of whom they had thought to be family.
Herbert, his wife, Doreen, their first son, Chizzy, and a friend of theirs, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Group Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, perished in a fatal helicopter crash in Nevada, United States of America, barely a year ago.
Since that crash which shook Nigeria’s corporate world, drew rivers of tears, and broke hearts, nothing seem to be the same within the Wigwe family.
According to reports which not a few Nigerians have described as scandalous and shameful, a couple of Herbert’s siblings, and the patriarch of the family, Pastor Shingle Wigwe, are in a squabble with Herbert’s children and a couple of his trusted friends to whom he handed over his estate to administer, and guide his children.
They ended up in Court. Herbert’s siblings and his father sued his daughter, Toochi and among others, his very trusted friend, Agboje Aig Imoukhuede. They failed, but have now appealed against Toochi and co.
If anybody was in doubt of how scandalous and messy this family fight has become, the untidy incident which took place at the first memorial anniversary of Herbert, his wife and son banished all that. There was physical fracas, to the extent that one of the Wigwe’s, Emeka, was dragged out of the venue and arrested thereafter.
Speaking on the pains of the family and what she terms a betrayal by his late brother’s friends, his sister, Joyce Wigwe, lamented that their father and mother fell ill out of shock over the, alleged betrayal. She said the family has been let down.
She lamented, without mentioning specific names:
“People we thought of as brothers have really let the family down.
“Daddy and Mommy trusted them implicitly, but we’ve come to see that they were not what we believed them to be.
“Because of this, Daddy actually fell ill. We, almost, lost him. Mommy also broke down because of the trust they had placed in them.
“This has made the journey incredibly difficult and heart-wrenching for them.”
On the ugly incident which happened in the village and resulted in the arrest of her sibling, Emeka, Joyce recounted how his late brother’s friends came to the village without the courtesy of paying respects to the Wigwe’s family home to see their old parents.
“They didn’t even come to see us. Worse still, they wouldn’t let us through the gates.
“Ny brother, Emeka, was physically assaulted during the encounter.
“They muzzled my brother, treated him terribly, and even threw him to the ground. The car almost ran over him three times. They tried to hit him with their car”
” Emeka, out of frustration, eventually retaliated, and a photo capturing that moment was later used against him.
“When he managed to break free and defend himself, he threw a blow—and that was the moment they captured in a picture.”
According to her, Emeka was later arrested at night, accused of fighting with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
“But nobody took pictures of when he was almost crushed by cars three times.”
Joyce was, also not comfortable with the heavy security presence at the memorial. What was the motive?, she wondered.
“Herbert’s daughter was accompanied by armed personnel in no less than ten cars. You begin to wonder—did they really come to pay respects, or was it something else?”
She revealed that their mother, devoted herself to Herbert’s well-being from childhood, and was now, very heartbroken.
“This was the child who had the most health problems growing up. She cared for him and devoted herself to him. And yet, this same child was the one who stood up, put them on the map, and gave them a life they could never have dreamed of.”
Joyce revealed the absence of support from those they once thought were close to them.
“If the friends and family we thought we had stood by us, my parents would have been comforted. But they haven’t been comforted at all.”
Herbert, wife and son perished on February 9, 2024.
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