For 68-year-old British citizen, Dawn Ottewell, it was literally love at first sight after she hooked up with 31-year-old Nigerian, Bright Emokpae on a popular dating App, Tinder.
But what began as a love story conceived in heaven and consummated on earth has ended in heartbreak and a desperate search for answers.
At the beginning, Dawn, who obviously was consumed by love, quickly made efforts to facilitate Emokpae’s movement to the United Kingdom after their wedding.
But soon after he arrived in the UK on a spousal visa Emokpae disappeared into thin air. At the beginning, Dawn probably believed her new husband had simply stepped out and would be back soon.
But it soon dawned on her that new husband wouldn’t be coming back any time soon.
In a story published in the UK Sun, the love-struck 68-year-old said she met the Edo State born Bright when she was at the lowest ebb in 2021 and he brightened her life with love.
At the time, Bright Emokpae was reportedly a student in Cyprus and Dawn went on a visit. The couple eventually got married in 2022.
In 2023 Bright was in Nigeria to complete formalities for his visa to the UK courtesy of papers filed by Dawn and he relocated thereafter.
Shortly after his arrival, Dawn claimed that Bright became withdrawn and was always asking for money from her and added nothing to the sustenance of the home.
The pair separated but reunited in October 2023. According to Dawn, Bright reconciled with her because she received a £63,000 settlement following a botched NHS prolapse operation. But he bolted from their home once again.
Not willing to put up with Emokpae’s flight from home any more, Dawn wants a divorce but her man cannot be located to sign the papers with Dawn speculating that he may have relocated to Scotland.
“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 said.
But Dawn’s main worry is that if she dies before the divorce papers are signed Bright could inherit her estate. “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,” she said.
She says she feels Bright simply used her to get into the UK and she’s appealing for help to locate him.
“I feel I’m being used,” Ottewell said.
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.”
