Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
The story of a whirlwind romance that crossed continents, defied a 37-year age gap, and promised companionship in a time of loneliness has ended in heartbreak and a desperate search for answers. Dawn Ottewell, a 68-year-old British grandmother from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, has publicly accused her 31-year-old Nigerian husband, Bright Emokpae, of marrying her solely to secure a UK visa, alleging that he disappeared shortly after obtaining his spouse visa and is now refusing to sign divorce papers.
The couple's relationship began in 2021 when Ottewell, grappling with loneliness and depression during the pandemic, met Emokpae on the dating apps Tinder and Plenty of Fish. At the time, she was living with her daughter and struggling with unemployment and health issues. Emokpae initially misrepresented himself, telling her he was a professional in his 30s named "Brian Thomas," before later revealing on WhatsApp that he was actually a fashion student in his mid-20s from Benin City, Nigeria. Despite the deception, Ottewell said she was drawn in by his affection and regular video calls.
Eight months after they first connected, Ottewell travelled to northern Cyprus, where Emokpae was living on a student visa. They married at a registry office in Nicosia on March 22, 2022, with two Turkish friends acting as witnesses. The wedding certificate recorded his age as 27 and hers as 64 at the time. Following the wedding, Emokpae returned to Nigeria to apply for a UK spouse visa. Ottewell was overjoyed when it was approved about a year later, personally travelling to Heathrow Airport to welcome him. Even her 72-year-old brother helped Emokpae secure a job at a local door manufacturing firm. However, the relationship deteriorated rapidly after he arrived in the UK.
Ottewell claims Emokpae became cold and distant, making frequent financial demands and refusing to contribute to household expenses, while regularly sending money back to Nigeria. She told The Sun: "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". Emokpae has disputed this, claiming he contributed £400 towards his £900 flight from Nigeria and paid the council tax and water bills. The couple briefly separated in October 2023 but reconciled six months later after Ottewell received a £63,000 compensation payout from the NHS following a botched prolapse operation. She now regrets that decision.
The final blow came shortly before Christmas 2024. After Ottewell returned from a £2,000 Caribbean cruise with her brother, she found that Emokpae had left. She has not spoken to him since he blocked her on social media about eight months ago. She suspects he is now living in Scotland, where she believes he is running an online clothing business. Ottewell's desperation is compounded by her own precarious health. She lives with heart disease, sciatica, angina, and IBS, and she is terrified she will die before the divorce is finalised.
"I haven't spoken to Bright since he blocked me on social media about eight months ago," she told The Sun. "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 expressed her deepest fear: "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". Because she has not written a will, she worries Emokpae could legally claim her possessions, including jewellery, cash, and furniture, if she passes away.
Now receiving guidance from the Citizens Advice Bureau, Ottewell is desperately trying to locate her estranged husband so she can serve him with divorce papers. When approached by The Sun, Emokpae claimed he had already signed the papers but declined to provide evidence. Her tragic story highlights a growing phenomenon of romance fraud in Britain, with over 12,000 cases reported in the year to March 2026, a 29 per cent increase from the previous year. "I know I was a fool, but I was in love," Ottewell told The Sun. "I feel I'm being used. I just want him out of my life for good". "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".
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