68-year-old British woman who married a Nigerian man, 31, cries out as he goes missing after joining her abroad

A 68-year-old British woman has spoken out after her 31-year-old Nigerian husband allegedly disappeared after moving to the UK, leaving her struggling to locate him and proceed with their divorce.

Dawn Otewell, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said she was lonely and depressed when she met Bright Emokpae, from Edo State, Nigeria, on a dating app.

Despite their 36-year age gap, Bright reportedly pursued Dawn, professed his love for her, and convinced her that his feelings were genuine.

Four years later, however, Dawn says she is desperate to track him down after he allegedly disappeared and refused to sign divorce papers. She fears that if she dies before their marriage is legally ended, Bright could potentially have a claim to some of her estate.

Dawn, a grandmother of seven, says she suffers from several health problems, including heart disease, angina, sciatica and IBS.

She claims Bright has deliberately gone missing to avoid being deported and to protect his right to remain in the UK on a spouse visa.

“It’s an absolute nightmare,” Dawn told The Sun UK.

“I’m still his legally married wife, but apparently, I have no right to know where he is.

“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.

“I haven’t spoken to Bright since he blocked me on social media about eight months ago.

“Our last conversation was when I told him: ‘I know you’ve moved house and left your job and I don’t care; I just want you to sign the divorce papers.’

“He replied: ‘I don’t have them anymore. I’m not going to sign them.’

“In the meantime, my health is not good.

“My biggest fear is that I die before this is sorted out and he’ll run off with the money my three children should inherit.”

Dawn, who says she has not made a will, is worried about what could happen to her possessions, including jewellery, cash and furniture.

How They Met

Dawn met Bright in 2021 after joining dating apps Tinder and Plenty of Fish.

According to Dawn, Bright initially told her that he was a professional man in his thirties named Brian Thomas. However, after their conversations moved to WhatsApp, he reportedly admitted that he was actually a fashion student in his mid-twenties from Benin City, Nigeria.

Despite the deception, Dawn forgave him and says she fell in love with him as he showered her with compliments during their regular video calls.

In March 2022, about eight months after they first met online, Dawn flew to northern Cyprus, where Bright was living on a student visa.

“I know I was a fool, but I was in love,” she said.

“When I met Bright, he made me feel special and alive.

“He told me I made his heart go ‘boom boom’ and I was the loveliest woman he ever met.

“He made me feel attractive again.”

Dawn admitted that Bright’s lies about his name and age should have raised concerns.

“I knew he was a bit young. The lies he told me about his name and age should have been two massive red flags,” she said.

“But he was romantic and persuasive.”

The couple married at a registry office in Nicosia on March 22, 2022. Two of Bright’s Turkish friends reportedly acted as best man and maid of honour.

Their wedding certificate recorded Bright as a 27-year-old student and Dawn as a 64-year-old single housewife.

“I stayed in Cyprus for a month with Bright, but I would not call it a honeymoon,” Dawn said.

“It was supposed to be two weeks, but he asked me to miss my flight, and he begged me to marry him. He said he loved me and I believed him.”

Moving to Britain

Dawn eventually returned to her home in Dewsbury, while Bright went back to Nigeria to arrange a spouse visa to join her in Britain.

The visa was granted about a year later, and Dawn travelled to Heathrow Airport to welcome her new husband to the UK.

She says that was when their problems began.

Dawn tried to help Bright settle into life in Britain, while her brother Rory, 72, helped him secure a manufacturing job at a door company.

According to Dawn, however, Bright soon became cold and distant and began making frequent financial demands. She claims he said he was struggling with debts from their wedding.

She also alleges that he refused to contribute financially to their household while regularly sending money to Nigeria.

“He was sending a lot of money back home to Nigeria,” Dawn said.

“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.”

Relationship Breakup

The couple eventually separated in October 2023. However, they reconciled six months later after Dawn received a £63,000 payout following a botched prolapse operation at an NHS hospital.

Looking back, Dawn says she regrets taking Bright back and now worries that her money may have influenced his decision to resume the relationship.

“I should have worried he was only after my money when we got back together,” she said.

“Bright’s eyes must have lit up when he found out I had received so much.

“Whenever we went out to the cinema or for a meal, he made sure it was always me paying.

“I know I shouldn’t have taken him back, but I wasn’t happy being on my own again, and he insisted his intentions were honourable – that he had changed.”

Their relationship remained troubled.

Just before Christmas 2024, Dawn went on a £2,000 Caribbean cruise with her brother in an attempt to lift her spirits.

She says Bright became furious, accusing her of spending money that he believed should have been used to pay his debts.

When Dawn returned from the trip, she says Bright left the home and never came back.

She now believes he may be living in Scotland, where she says he appears to have started an online clothing business advertised on social media.

Dawn believes Bright was primarily interested in obtaining a visa to live in Britain.

“I know I never should have fallen for him in the first place,” she said.

“I’m convinced he was never in love with me and just wanted a visa to move to England.

“And it’s because of his cherished spouse visa that he won’t agree to a divorce.

“I know Bright needs to stay in the UK for another two years before he’s entitled to settle permanently – he’s been here three years.”

Dawn says she is receiving assistance from Citizens Advice but that locating Bright has made the divorce process difficult.

“I’m getting help from the Citizens Advice Bureau, but it’s taking forever because they need to find out where he’s living,” she said.

“I just want him out of my life for good.

“I also want people to know that if this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.

“I would advise them 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.

“I feel I’m being used.”