Nigerian husband absconds as 68-year-old British wife seeks divorce

In a poignant divorce case, a 68-year-old British woman, Dawn Ottewell, claims her 31-year-old Nigerian husband, Bright Emokpae, has disappeared, making it challenging to finalize their marriage. Ottewell, hailing from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, asserts that Emokpae abruptly left their residence and blocked her on social media, hindering her efforts to serve him with divorce documents.

The couple, whose age disparity is a striking 37 years, reportedly met through a dating app in 2021 and married at a registry office in Nicosia, Cyprus, on March 22, 2022. Initially, Emokpae claimed to be a 30-something professional named Brian Thomas, but he later revealed his true identity as a fashion student from Benin City in Edo State.

After their marriage, Ottewell accompanied Emokpae to Cyprus in March 2022 for their first in-person meeting and subsequent wedding. However, their union soon unraveled due to financial disputes and other issues. The couple separated in October 2023 but briefly reunited in late 2023 after Ottewell received a £63,000 settlement from a medical negligence claim related to a prolapsed operation at an NHS hospital.

According to The Sun, Emokpae allegedly returned to Britain on a spouse visa, but their relationship soured once more when Ottewell discovered messages she had exchanged with other men on dating apps. She alleged that Emokpae disappeared shortly before Christmas 2024, claiming he had started an online clothing business and was deliberately hiding to maintain his spouse visa.

Nevertheless, Emokpae refuted some of Ottewell's allegations, stating that he had signed the divorce papers but refused to provide evidence.