A 68-year-old British woman, Dawn Ottewell, has recounted her ordeal after her 31-year-old Nigerian husband, Bright Emokpae, allegedly disappeared in the United Kingdom months after relocating there on a spouse visa.
Ottewell, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, told The Sun UK that she met Emokpae, an Edo State native, on dating platforms Tinder and Plenty of Fish in 2021, when she was struggling with loneliness and depression.
She said Emokpae, who is 37 years her junior, initially introduced himself as “Brian Thomas” before later telling her that he was a fashion student from Benin City.
According to Ottewell, their relationship developed through frequent video calls before she travelled to northern Cyprus, where Emokpae was studying on a student visa.
The pair subsequently married at a registry office in Nicosia on March 22, 2022, with two Turkish friends serving as their best man and maid of honour.
Following the wedding, Emokpae returned to Nigeria to process his spouse visa. About a year later, after the visa was approved, Ottewell travelled to Heathrow Airport to welcome him to Britain.
However, she alleged that their relationship deteriorated after his arrival, claiming that he became increasingly distant, frequently asked her for money and declined to contribute to household expenses while sending money to Nigeria.
Ottewell’s 72-year-old brother, Rory, reportedly helped Emokpae obtain employment with a local door manufacturing company.
The couple separated briefly in October 2023 but reconciled about six months later after Ottewell received a £63,000 settlement following what she described as a botched NHS prolapse operation.
She now says she regrets reconciling with him.
Ottewell recalled that shortly before Christmas 2024, she went on a £2,000 Caribbean cruise with her brother. When she returned, she allegedly discovered that Emokpae had left.
She said he has not returned since and has blocked her on social media, leaving her unable to establish contact with him for months.
Ottewell believes her estranged husband may now be living in Scotland, where she suspects he operates 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.
The woman also expressed fears about the possible implications for her estate if she dies before their marriage is legally dissolved.
“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 is worried that Emokpae could potentially lay claim to some of her possessions, including jewellery, cash and furniture.
She is now seeking assistance from Citizens Advice to help 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.”
