Justice A.O. Adeyemi of the Lagos State High Court, Family/Probate Division, has dismissed an application filed by Christian Wigwe and Pastor Shyngle Wigwe seeking the appointment of interim administrators for the estate of the late former Group Managing Director and CEO of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe.

In a ruling delivered on 6 February 2025, the court found all the applicants’ claims to be unsustainable.

The applicants, allegedly influenced by Emeka Wigwe, had filed suit ID/7735FPM/2024 against Access Bank Plc, Coronation Merchant Bank Ltd, and United Securities Ltd. Also named as defendants under an order dated 18 November 2024 were Uche Wigwe, Aigboje A.I.G. Imoukhuede, and Miss Otutochi Channel Wigwe.

The claimants sought the court’s approval to appoint Otutochi Wigwe, Uche Wigwe, Shyngle Wigwe, and two professional entities—Zedra Trust Company (Isle of Man), a subsidiary of Zedra Corporate Solutions UK Limited, and PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited—as interim administrators of Herbert Wigwe’s estate pending the resolution of the main suit.

Additionally, they requested that Wigwe’s minor children—Chituru David Wigwe, Wegu & Hannah Wigwe, and Okachi Great Wigwe—be placed under the joint guardianship of Otutochi Wigwe, Uche Wigwe, Emeka Wigwe, Shyngle Wigwe, and the two professionals, with Shyngle Wigwe overseeing their welfare.

The applicants also sought authorisation for the interim administrators to manage the maintenance and welfare of Herbert Wigwe’s dependants, liaise with third parties regarding financial or property interests, submit monthly reports to the court, and obtain full disclosure from the financial institutions regarding the deceased’s assets.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Adeyemi ruled that the claimants were not entitled to the reliefs sought.

“Having considered the submissions of learned Senior Counsel, the key issue before this court is whether the claimants/applicants are entitled to the reliefs sought,” Justice Adeyemi stated.

Citing Section 24(1) of the Administration of Estate Law, Laws of Lagos State (2015), the judge acknowledged the court’s authority to appoint an administrator pendente lite in cases involving disputes over the validity of a will or related matters. However, he determined that the applicants’ claims largely overlapped with the substantive suit.

The court ruled that it would be inappropriate to address the request for interim administrators and guardians at this stage, given that these issues were central to the substantive suit.

Furthermore, the judge referenced an existing judgment from a court of competent jurisdiction, which had already appointed the third defendant as the legal guardian of the deceased’s minor children. As no appeal had been lodged against that ruling, the court held that it could not revisit the matter at this interlocutory stage.

Justice Adeyemi concluded that the applications for interim administrators and guardians were part of the main claims and should be addressed during the substantive hearing.

“The contention of learned Senior Counsel for the claimants/applicants—that a protracted trial may ensue—is both unfounded and preemptive. The urgency surrounding the welfare of the minor children has prompted this court to grant an expedited hearing, as demonstrated by the abridged timelines given to all parties,” the judge stated.

The court encouraged the claimants’ legal representatives to make full use of this expedited process to avoid unnecessary delays that could affect the minors’ welfare.

“The issue raised is, therefore, resolved against the applicants. Consequently, the application dated 28 November 2024 is dismissed as unsustainable,” the court ruled.