A 68-year-old British woman, Dawn Ottewell, has said she is struggling to locate her Nigerian husband, Bright Emokpae, 31, whom she married in 2022.
Ottewell, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, told the UK-based newspaper, The Sun, that she wanted to divorce Emokpae, whom she accused of leaving their home and blocking her on social media.
As reported by The Sun on Monday, the couple, who have a 37-year age difference, met on dating apps in 2021 before marrying at a registry office in Nicosia, Cyprus, on March 22, 2022.
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Ottewell said Emokpae initially told her that he was a professional in his 30s named Brian Thomas but later disclosed that he was a fashion student in his mid-20s from Benin City, Nigeria.
She said she forgave him and eventually travelled to Cyprus in March 2022, where they met in person for the first time and got married.
“I know I was a fool, but I was in love,” Ottewell said.
“I was so lonely and depressed during the pandemic. I was out-of-work with several health issues. I was on Universal Credit and living with my daughter Kirsty, 33, who had a 14-month-old baby, but we were arguing all the time.
“When I met Bright, he made me feel special and alive.”
According to Ottewell, Emokpae later moved to Britain after obtaining a spouse visa, but their relationship deteriorated.
She alleged that he became distant and made frequent financial demands, including sending money to Nigeria.
“I got all-new furniture, and he didn’t put a penny towards it. When we went out for dinner, it was usually me picking up the bill,” she said.
The Sun reported that Emokpae denied the allegation, saying he contributed £400 towards his £900 flight from Nigeria and paid the council tax and water bills at their shared home.
The couple separated in October 2023 but reunited six months later after Ottewell received a £63,000 payout following a medical negligence claim related to a prolapse operation at an NHS hospital, according to The Sun.
Ottewell said she later regretted reconciling with him, alleging that he was interested in her money.
The relationship subsequently deteriorated again, and she said Emokpae left shortly before Christmas 2024 after finding messages she had exchanged with other men on dating apps.
Ottewell said she had not spoken to him since he blocked her on social media about eight months before The Sun’s report was published.
“He’s done a runner and is refusing to sign the divorce papers because I believe he wants to cling on to his spouse visa,” she said.
She also alleged that Emokpae could be living in Scotland, where she claimed he had started an online clothing business.
“I’m convinced he was never in love with me and just wanted a visa to move to England,” Ottewell said.
“And it’s because of his cherished spouse visa that he won’t agree to a divorce.”
Ottewell said she was receiving assistance from Citizens Advice as she tried to locate him and serve him with divorce papers.
