Nigeria: 68-Year-Old Briton Cries Out As Nigerian Husband, 31, Allegedly Disappears After Spouse Visa

What the report says

A report carried by Leadership and distributed by AllAfrica says a 68-year-old British woman, Dawn Otewell of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, has gone public over the breakdown of her marriage to Bright Emokpae, a 31-year-old Nigerian man from Edo State. Otewell alleges that her husband disappeared after moving to the United Kingdom on a spouse visa, leaving her unable to move forward with divorce proceedings.

According to the article, the couple met online in 2021 through dating platforms before Otewell traveled to Northern Cyprus, where they married in a registry office in Nicosia in March 2022. The report says Emokpae later returned to Nigeria to apply for a UK spouse visa and joined her in Britain after it was approved. Otewell claims the relationship then deteriorated, with accusations that he became distant, asked her for money, and contributed little to household costs.

The article says the pair separated in October 2023, briefly reconciled after Otewell received a compensation payment, and then split again later. Otewell says she has not been in contact with him for months and believes he may be in Scotland. She is reportedly getting help from Citizens Advice to locate him and serve divorce papers. The report also notes that his version differs and that the claims have not been independently verified. More broadly, spouse-visa cases can become contentious when relationships break down, but the article does not establish any immigration abuse or motive.