By SpringsNewsNG – March 3, 2025

The family of the late Access Bank CEO, Herbert Wigwe, has accused his long-time business partner, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, of abruptly stopping the monthly stipend previously provided to Wigwe’s parents.

Wigwe, a key figure in Nigerian banking, was born on August 15, 1966, in Ibadan, Oyo State. He served as Group Managing Director and CEO of Access Bank Plc, transforming it into one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions.

On February 9, 2024, tragedy struck when Wigwe, along with his wife Doreen and their 29-year-old son Chizi, died in a helicopter crash near Nipton, California. The family was traveling 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 Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, and two crew members.

Following Wigwe’s passing, Aig-Imoukhuede reportedly continued providing financial support to his late partner’s elderly parents. However, according to Joyce Wigwe, the deceased banker’s elder sister, this stipend was discontinued after the family filed a legal caveat regarding Herbert’s estate.

“So Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Wigwe’s close business partner, had graciously been providing stipends the way Herbert was doing for my parents, but after the caveat, we noticed he stopped,” Joyce Wigwe revealed in an interview with TV360.

She further stated that when family mediators reached out to inquire about the sudden stoppage, Aig-Imoukhuede allegedly expressed concerns that the funds were being used to finance a lawsuit against him.

“My dad just wanted a sense of transparency and accountability because, suddenly, he has grandchildren who don’t have parents anymore,” she explained.

According to Joyce, Herbert Wigwe had always emphasized the need to secure the future of his youngest child, Okach, who is just two years old.

“They needed to be looked after. Like Herbert Wigwe kept telling us—and told me in particular—Okach is two years old; we need to provide for him all through and make sure he’s all right.”

The situation has raised concerns about how the late banker’s estate is being managed and the financial well-being of his surviving family members.