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

A 68-year-old British grandmother has spoken publicly about the breakdown of her marriage to her 31-year-old Nigerian husband, alleging that he disappeared after moving to the United Kingdom on a spouse visa and left her struggling to finalise their divorce.

Dawn Otewell, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said she met Bright Emokpae, from Edo State, on Tinder and Plenty of Fish in 2021, when she was feeling lonely.

According to Dawn, Bright initially introduced himself as “Brian Thomas”, claiming to be a professional in his 30s. She later discovered, she said, that his real name was Bright and that he was a much younger fashion student from Benin, Nigeria.

Despite the revelation, Dawn said their regular video calls and his affectionate messages drew her closer to him. About eight months after they met online, she travelled to Northern Cyprus, where Bright was living, and the pair married at a registry office in Nicosia on March 22, 2022.

Bright subsequently returned to Nigeria to apply for a UK spouse visa. When it was approved about a year later, Dawn said she welcomed him at Heathrow.

However, she alleged that their relationship deteriorated soon afterwards. She accused him of becoming distant, repeatedly asking her for money, refusing to contribute to household expenses and sending money to Nigeria.

The couple separated in October 2023 but reconciled about six months later after Dawn received a £63,000 compensation settlement following what she described as a botched medical procedure.

She said Bright later left again, shortly after she returned from a £2,000 Caribbean cruise with her brother before Christmas 2024.

Dawn said she has not spoken to him for months after he blocked her on social media. She believes he may now be living in Scotland and running 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.

Dawn, a grandmother of seven, said she is particularly worried about her children’s inheritance because she has not made a will and remains legally married.

She is reportedly receiving assistance from Citizens Advice in trying to locate Bright and serve him with divorce papers. Bright’s account, however, differs from hers; a report citing The Sun said he claimed he had already signed the divorce papers, although he reportedly declined to provide evidence.

Dawn’s allegations have not been independently established, and there is no evidence presented in the reports proving that Bright entered the marriage specifically to obtain UK immigration status.