“I Fell in Love With a Man I Met Online, and After Just a Few Months of Talking, I Married Him and Brought Him to the UK—But Months Later, Something Unexpected Happened That Left Me Terrified”

A 68-year-old British grandmother has spoken about how her 31-year-old Nigerian husband allegedly disappeared after coming to the UK on a spouse visa. She says she has been unable to complete their divorce and is now worried about what could happen to her belongings and her children’s inheritance.

Dawn Otewell, from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, met Bright Emokpae, who is from Edo State in Nigeria, through the dating apps Tinder and Plenty of Fish in 2021.

According to Dawn, Bright first introduced himself as Brian Thomas and told her he was a professional in his 30s. She later discovered that this was not true. She said he eventually admitted that he was actually a fashion student in his mid-20s from Benin, Nigeria.

Despite finding out that he had not been truthful about some things, Dawn said she continued the relationship because she had developed feelings for him. She said he was loving towards her, spoke kindly to her and regularly communicated with her through video calls.

Their relationship became more serious, and the couple eventually decided to get married. They married at a registry office in Nicosia, Cyprus, on March 22, 2022.

After the wedding, Bright returned to Nigeria and applied for a UK spouse visa. Around a year later, his visa was approved and Dawn went to Heathrow Airport to welcome him when he arrived in Britain.

However, Dawn claims things began to change after he arrived in the UK. She said Bright became more distant and regularly asked her for money. She also claimed he did not want to contribute towards household bills and often sent money back to Nigeria.

Their marriage eventually ran into serious problems, and the couple separated in October 2023.

About six months later, however, they decided to get back together. This happened after Dawn received £63,000 in compensation following a medical procedure that had gone wrong.

But their reunion did not last.

Dawn said she later went on a Caribbean cruise with her brother, which cost around £2,000. She returned shortly before Christmas 2024 and claims Bright left soon afterwards. According to her, he has not returned since.

She said she has not spoken to him for around eight months because he blocked her on social media. Dawn believes he may now be living in Scotland and could be running an online clothing business, although this is only her suspicion.

Dawn claims Bright is refusing to sign the divorce papers. She believes he may be doing this because he wants to keep his spouse visa.

She is also worried about what could happen if she dies before their divorce is completed. Dawn said she has not made a will and fears that, while they are still legally married, Bright could potentially have a claim on some of her possessions instead of everything going as she wants for her children.

Dawn said the whole situation has left her feeling as though she was used.

She is now getting help from Citizens Advice as she tries to locate Bright and formally serve him with the divorce papers so she can move forward with ending the marriage.