A 68-year-old British woman, Dawn Ottewell, has spoken about her ordeal after her 31-year-old Nigerian husband, Bright Emokpae, allegedly disappeared shortly after moving to the United Kingdom on a spouse visa.
Ottewell, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, told The Sun UK that she met Emokpae, who is from Edo State, on dating apps Tinder and Plenty of Fish in 2021 while she was battling loneliness and depression.
She said Emokpae, who is 37 years younger than her, initially introduced himself as “Brian Thomas” before later revealing that he was a fashion student from Benin City.
According to Ottewell, the pair grew close through regular video calls before she travelled to northern Cyprus, where Emokpae was studying on a student visa.
The couple got married at a registry office in Nicosia on March 22, 2022, with two Turkish friends acting as their best man and maid of honour.
After their wedding, Emokpae returned to Nigeria to process his spouse visa. About a year later, when the visa was approved, Ottewell travelled to Heathrow Airport to receive him.
However, she said their relationship became strained after he arrived in the UK, alleging that he became distant, frequently requested money and refused to contribute to household expenses while sending money to Nigeria.
Ottewell’s brother, Rory, 72, reportedly helped Emokpae secure a job at a local door manufacturing company.
The couple briefly separated in October 2023 but reconciled six months later after Ottewell received a £63,000 settlement following a botched NHS prolapse operation.
Ottewell said she now regrets getting back together with him.
She recalled that shortly before Christmas 2024, she went on a £2,000 Caribbean cruise with her brother, but discovered that Emokpae had left when she returned.
She said he has not returned since and has blocked her on social media.
Ottewell, who reportedly lives with heart disease, sciatica, angina and IBS, said she has been unable to contact her husband for months and believes he may now be living in Scotland, where she suspects he runs an online clothing business.
“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 expressed concern about what could happen to her estate if she dies before the divorce is finalised.
“My biggest fear is that I’ll die before this is sorted out and he’ll run off with the money my three children should inherit,” she said.
Ottewell said she has not made a will and fears Emokpae could potentially claim some of her possessions, including jewellery, cash and furniture.
She is now seeking help from Citizens Advice to locate her estranged husband and serve him with divorce papers.
“I feel I’m being used,” Ottewell said.
She added, “I would advise people to be very careful who they marry, especially when the person is from abroad, because a lot of them are just doing it for a visa, and then they disappear.”
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