Herbert Wigwe’s sister alleges betrayal, assault at his memorial

Joyce Wigwe, sister of the late Herbert Wigwe, former group chief executive officer (GCEO) of Access Holdings Plc, has alleged that her family has suffered betrayal, mistreatment, and disrespect in the aftermath of his passing.

BACKGROUND

Herbert Wigwe died in a helicopter crash in California, USA, near the Nevada border on February 9, 2024.

His wife, Doreen, their first son, Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), were also on board.

All six passengers died in the crash.

Since his passing, the family has reportedly been entangled in legal battles over his estate.

FAMILY TURMOIL, ALLEGED BETRAYAL MAR MEMORIAL EVENT

Speaking during the one-year memorial of the incident, Joyce described how the family’s trust in close associates had been “shattered”, leading to emotional and physical turmoil.

“People we thought of as brothers have really let the family down,” she said.

“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.”

Joyce further recounted an incident at the family’s village, where individuals she accused of betrayal arrived but did not pay their respects to the family.

“They didn’t even come to see us. Worse still, they wouldn’t let us through the gates,” she said.

She alleged that her brother, Emeka, was assaulted during the incident.

“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,” she added. 

“When he managed to break free and defend himself, out of frustration, he threw a blow — and that was the moment they captured in a picture.”

She claimed Emeka was later arrested at night on accusations of fighting with the Department of State Services (DSS).

“But nobody took pictures of when he was almost crushed by cars three times,” she said. 

Joyce also criticised the heavy security presence at the memorial, saying 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 asked.

She noted that their mother, who she said had devoted herself to Herbert’s health struggles as a child, was particularly devastated.

“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,” she said.

“If the friends and family we thought we had had stood by us, my parents would have been comforted. But they haven’t been comforted at all,” she said.