Bright Emokpae
and Dawn Ottewell. CREDIT: The Sun UK
A 68-year-old British woman, Dawn Ottewell, says she has been unable to locate her 31-year-old Nigerian husband, Bright Emokpae, as she attempts to end their marriage, which began in 2022.Ottewell, who is from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, told the UK newspaper The Sun that she wants a divorce from Emokpae, whom she alleges left their shared home and has since been difficult to contact.
The couple reportedly met through dating apps in 2021. Ottewell said their relationship developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she was unemployed, experiencing personal difficulties and feeling isolated.
She explained that Emokpae initially made her feel valued during a period when she was struggling with loneliness and depression. Although they had not met physically at the time, she eventually travelled to Cyprus in March 2022, where they met face-to-face and married at a registry office in Nicosia on March 22.
“I know I was a fool, but I was in love,” Ottewell said.
According to her account, Emokpae later moved to the UK after securing a spouse visa. However, she said their relationship began to deteriorate after he arrived.
Ottewell alleged that her husband became increasingly distant and regularly asked for financial assistance, including money to be sent to Nigeria. She also claimed that she covered most household and social expenses.
“I got all-new furniture, and he didn’t put a penny towards it. When we went out for dinner, it was usually me picking up the bill,” she said.
Emokpae reportedly rejected those allegations. According to The Sun, he said he contributed £400 towards his £900 flight from Nigeria and also paid the council tax and water bills at their home.
The couple first separated in October 2023 but reportedly reconciled about six months later. Their reunion came after Ottewell received a £63,000 compensation payment following a medical negligence claim connected to a prolapse operation at an NHS hospital.
Ottewell later said she regretted getting back together with Emokpae, claiming she came to believe that his interest in the relationship was primarily financial.
Their relationship eventually broke down again. Ottewell said Emokpae left shortly before Christmas 2024 after discovering messages she had exchanged with other men through dating applications.
She said they have not communicated since he blocked her on social media, which she said happened around eight months before The Sun published its report.
Ottewell alleges that Emokpae has refused to cooperate with the divorce process because she believes he wants to retain his spouse visa.
“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.
She further claimed that he may now be living in Scotland, where she believes he has established an online clothing business.
Ottewell said she was receiving support from Citizens Advice while attempting to locate her husband and formally serve him with divorce documents.
“I just want him out of my life for good,” she said, adding that she wanted to share her experience as a warning to others.
When contacted by The Sun, Emokpae reportedly said that he had already signed the divorce papers but did not provide evidence to substantiate the claim.
The couple, who have a 37-year age gap, reportedly met on dating applications in 2021 before marrying in Cyprus the following year.
Ottewell also alleged that Emokpae initially presented himself as a professional in his 30s named Brian Thomas. She said he later revealed that his real identity was Bright Emokpae, a fashion student from Benin City, Nigeria, who was in his mid-20s at the time.
PunchNews Paper
Kindly Share This!!!
0 Comments