68 year old British Grandmother Seeks Divorce After Nigerian Husband Allegedly Disappears Following Move to UK

Newslens NG reports that a 68-year-old British grandmother, Dawn Otewell, has alleged that her 31-year-old Nigerian husband, Bright Emokpae, disappeared after relocating to the United Kingdom on a spouse visa, leaving her struggling to finalise their divorce.

Otewell, a grandmother of seven from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said she is now attempting to trace Emokpae so that divorce papers can be served on him.

The couple, who have a 36-year age difference, met online in 2021 through the dating platforms Tinder and Plenty of Fish.

According to Otewell, Emokpae initially introduced himself as “Brian Thomas”, claiming to be a professional in his 30s. However, she said he later disclosed that he was a fashion student in his mid-20s from Benin City, Edo State.

Despite what she described as the early deception, Otewell said she developed strong feelings for him following regular video calls and the affection he showed her.

Eight months after they first connected online, she travelled to northern Cyprus, where Emokpae was living as a student.

The pair eventually married at a registry office in Nicosia on March 22, 2022, with two of Emokpae’s Turkish friends acting as witnesses.

Their marriage certificate reportedly listed Otewell as a 64-year-old housewife and Emokpae as a 27-year-old student.

After the wedding, Otewell returned to the UK while Emokpae travelled back to Nigeria to process an application for a UK spouse visa.

About a year later, the visa was approved and Otewell travelled to Heathrow Airport to welcome her husband to Britain.

However, she alleged that their relationship began to deteriorate after his arrival in the UK.

Otewell claimed that Emokpae became distant and repeatedly demanded money from her. She also alleged that he sent money to Nigeria while contributing little to expenses in their home.

Her brother reportedly assisted him in securing a manufacturing job at a door company.

Emokpae, however, disputed some of Otewell’s claims. According to The Sun, he said he contributed £400 towards his £900 flight from Nigeria and also took responsibility for paying council tax and water bills at their home.

The couple separated in October 2023 but reconciled approximately six months later after Otewell received a £63,000 compensation settlement following a botched prolapse operation at an NHS hospital.

Otewell said that, looking back, she now questioned her decision to resume the relationship after receiving the compensation.

The marriage remained troubled, and just before Christmas 2024, Otewell travelled on a £2,000 Caribbean cruise with her brother.

She alleged that Emokpae became angry over the trip and argued that the money should have been used to settle his debts.

When she returned from the cruise, Emokpae discovered messages she had exchanged with other men on dating platforms. Otewell insisted the conversations were innocent, but said he subsequently left their home and never returned.

She now believes he may be living in Scotland and operating an online clothing business promoted through social media.

Otewell said she has not spoken with her husband for about eight months after he allegedly blocked her on social media.

She accused him of deliberately making himself difficult to locate and expressed fears that the unresolved marriage could affect her children’s inheritance should she die before the divorce is concluded.

Otewell, who has not made a will, said she was concerned about the legal implications of still being married to Emokpae and is receiving assistance from Citizens Advice as she attempts to locate him.

She said she believes Emokpae may be reluctant to cooperate with the divorce because of concerns about his immigration status.

However, these claims remain Otewell’s allegations, and there has been no official finding establishing that Emokpae entered the marriage solely for immigration purposes.

When contacted by The Sun, Emokpae reportedly said that he had signed the divorce papers but declined to provide evidence of this.

The case has generated widespread reactions online, particularly because of the couple’s significant age difference and Otewell’s allegations regarding her husband’s motives for entering the marriage.

The development also comes amid growing concerns in the UK about romance fraud and online dating scams, particularly involving older people. The Sun reported that more than 12,000 cases of romance fraud were recorded in Britain in the year to March 2026, with reported losses exceeding £102 million.

While Otewell believes she was used for immigration and financial purposes, her allegations have not been independently established, and Emokpae has disputed some of her claims.