A 68-year-old British woman, Dawn Otewell, has spoken out after her much younger Nigerian husband disappeared, leaving her unable to finalise a divorce she says is now putting her children's inheritance at risk.
Dawn, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said she was lonely and depressed when she met Bright Emokpae, from Edo State, Nigeria, on a dating app.
Though he was 36 years her junior, she said he pursued her with declarations of love that felt genuine at the time.
Bright initially told her he was a professional in his thirties named Brian Thomas, but later admitted on WhatsApp that he was actually a fashion student in his mid-twenties from Benin, Nigeria.
Dawn said she forgave the deception and grew close to him through regular video calls.
"I know I was a fool, but I was in love," Dawn 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."
She added: "I knew he was a bit young. The lies he told me about his name and age should have been two massive red flags. But he was romantic and persuasive."
In March 2022, Dawn flew to northern Cyprus, where Bright was living on a student visa, and the pair married at a registry office in Nicosia.
She recalled that what was meant to be a short visit turned into a month-long stay after he pleaded with her to marry him. "I stayed in Cyprus for a month with Bright, but I would not call it a honeymoon. 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," she said.
Bright later returned to Nigeria to process a spouse visa, which came through a year later, allowing him to join Dawn in England.
But she said his behaviour changed soon after he arrived, becoming distant and financially demanding.
"He was sending a lot of money back home to Nigeria. 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.
The couple separated in October 2023 before reconciling six months later, after Dawn received a £63,000 payout following a botched NHS operation.
She said she now regrets giving him another chance.
"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," she said.
The relationship broke down for good just before Christmas 2024, when Bright reportedly grew angry that Dawn had spent money on a Caribbean cruise with her brother instead of giving it to him.
He left shortly after and has not returned.
Dawn believes he is now living in Scotland, where he appears to be running an online clothing business.
She said his refusal to sign divorce papers is tied to his desire to remain in the UK long enough to qualify for permanent settlement.
"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. 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.
Reflecting on the experience, Dawn said she hopes others can learn from what happened to her.
"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," she said.
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