A 68-year-old British grandmother from West Yorkshire has revealed how her 31-year-old Nigerian husband disappeared shortly after arriving in the UK on a spouse visa, leaving her in a desperate race to finalise a divorce before her health deteriorates further. Dawn Ottewell, from Dewsbury, told The Sun UK that she met Bright Emokpae, originally from Edo State, Nigeria, on the dating apps Tinder and Plenty of Fish in 2021, during a time when she was coping with loneliness and depression. The couple married in northern Cyprus in March 2022, but the relationship unravelled after Bright arrived in the UK, with Dawn now unable to locate him to serve divorce papers.
How the Relationship Began and the Wedding in Cyprus
Dawn, who is 37 years older than Bright, said he initially introduced himself as “Brian Thomas” before later revealing that he was a fashion student from Benin City. Despite the early dishonesty about his identity, Dawn grew attached to Bright through regular video calls. Eight months after they first connected online, she flew to northern Cyprus, where Bright was living on a student visa. The two were married at a registry office in Nicosia on March 22, 2022, with two Turkish friends serving as best man and maid of honour.
After the wedding, Bright returned to Nigeria to process a spouse visa. When the visa was approved about a year later, Dawn went to Heathrow Airport to pick him up. However, what followed, she says, bore no resemblance to the future she had imagined. Bright grew distant, repeatedly asked her for money, and refused to contribute to household expenses, while regularly sending funds back to Nigeria. Her brother Rory, 72, had helped him secure a job at a local door manufacturing firm.
Separation, Reconciliation, and Disappearance
The couple separated briefly in October 2023, then reconciled six months later after Dawn received a £63,000 (roughly ₦129 million) settlement following a botched NHS prolapse operation. She now considers that reconciliation a mistake. Just before Christmas 2024, Dawn went on a £2,000 (about ₦4 million) Caribbean cruise with her brother. Bright was gone by the time she returned and has not come back since.
Dawn, who lives with heart disease, sciatica, angina, and IBS, says Bright blocked her on social media and she has not spoken to him in roughly eight months. She believes he may now be living in Scotland, where she suspects he is running an online clothing business.
Fear for Her Children’s Inheritance and Legal Concerns
“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 told The Sun UK. “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, Dawn worries Bright could legally claim her possessions, including jewellery, cash, and furniture. She is currently seeking guidance from the Citizens Advice Bureau to locate him and serve the divorce papers.
“I feel I'm being used,” she added. “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.”
Social Media Reactions
The story drew reactions on social media. @benjamin_kuku_ wrote: “Mission accomplished ??? unto the next.” @ogc_nyra posted: “??? soundtrack?.” @oladimejimc asked: “Was she not informed ?.” @ovastyle_appareluk commented: “Oh dear sorry mama ?.”
