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| Wigwe. |
Londoner investigation reveals Herbert Wigwe owned 106 London properties through offshore entities, placing him among top foreign real estate investors.
A
major investigation into offshore property ownership in London has linked the
late Herbert Wigwe to 106 properties in the UK capital, placing him among the
most prominent foreign investors in the city’s real estate market, according to
a report by The Londoner.
The
report, titled “Revealed: The billionaires who really own London”, uncovers the
true owners behind 32,000 properties held by overseas entities, following a
recent law compelling foreign companies to disclose their beneficial owners.
According
to the findings, Wigwe, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access
Holdings Plc, ranked seventh among identified billionaire property owners, with
his holdings traced through offshore structures.
Investigators
said the breakthrough came after regulatory changes forced companies registered
in secrecy jurisdictions to declare ownership, lifting the veil on a system
long used by wealthy individuals to conceal assets.
The
report further revealed that 2,224 of London’s most expensive properties are
registered to companies based in St Helier, Jersey, a known tax haven
highlighting how shell firms have been used to hold prime assets across the
capital.
Wigwe’s
inclusion places him alongside a global network of billionaires, investors, and
institutions that have quietly amassed significant stakes in London’s
high-value real estate, often through layered corporate structures designed to
limit transparency.
The
revelations add a new dimension to Wigwe’s legacy as one of Africa’s most
influential banking figures, showing the scale of his international investment
footprint beyond the financial sector.
Wigwe
died on February 9, 2024, in a helicopter crash in California near the Nevada
border, alongside his wife, son, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Group Chairman
of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc. All six passengers on board were confirmed
dead.
A
final report by the National Transportation Safety Board attributed the crash
to the pilot’s decision to continue flying under visual flight rules into
adverse weather conditions.
Since
his death, Wigwe’s estate has been at the centre of legal disputes, with family
members contesting court rulings over the distribution of his assets.
Faridah Abdulkadiri.
(AriseNews TV, but headline rejigged)
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