A 68-year-old British woman, Dawn Ottewell, has accused her 31-year-old Nigerian husband, Bright Emokpae, of marrying her to obtain a spouse visa to live in the UK.
Ottewell, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said she has been unable to locate Emokpae or complete their divorce after he allegedly left their home and blocked her on social media.
The couple, who have a 37-year age gap, first met through dating apps in 2021 before getting married at a registry office in Nicosia, Cyprus, on March 22, 2022. They met in person for the first time during Ottewell’s trip to Cyprus for their wedding.
Ottewell told The Sun that Emokpae initially presented himself as Brian Thomas, a professional in his 30s, before later telling her that he was a fashion student in his mid-20s from Benin City, Nigeria.
Despite the revelation, she said she forgave him and proceeded with the marriage.
“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.”
Emokpae subsequently moved to Britain after securing a spouse visa, but Ottewell said their relationship began to deteriorate after he arrived in the UK.
She alleged that he became increasingly distant and made financial demands, including asking her to send money to Nigeria. Ottewell also claimed she covered most of their household and social expenses.
“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.
Emokpae denied the allegation, telling The Sun that he contributed £400 towards his £900 flight from Nigeria and paid the council tax and water bills at their shared home.
The couple initially separated in October 2023 but reconciled six months later. Their reunion came after Ottewell received a £63,000 payout from a medical negligence claim relating to a prolapse operation at an NHS hospital.
Ottewell said she later came to believe that Emokpae was primarily interested in her money.
Their relationship eventually broke down again, with Ottewell saying Emokpae left shortly before Christmas 2024 after discovering messages she had exchanged with other men on dating apps.
She said she has had no contact with him since he blocked her on social media around eight months before The Sun published its report.
“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.
Ottewell also claimed Emokpae may now be living in Scotland, where she alleged he had established 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.”
She said Citizens Advice is assisting her as she attempts to locate Emokpae and serve him with divorce papers.
“I just want him out of my life for good,” she said.
“I also want people to know that if this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”
(The Sun)