US Based Lawyer Seeks Divorce, Alleges Domestic Violence, Infidelity, Financial Manipulation
A Nigerian lawyer based in the United States, Mrs. Nnedimma Onyegbula, has asked the High Court of Lagos State to dissolve her decades long marriage, accusing her husband, Mr. Sonny Onyegbula, of domestic violence, emotional abuse, infidelity, financial manipulation and intimidation.
The allegations are contained in the Petitioner’s Reply to the Respondent’s Answer in Suit No. LD/26404WD/2026, in which Mrs. Onyegbula urged the court to dissolve the marriage on the ground that it has broken down irretrievably. Mr. Onyegbula denied the allegations and maintained that he had fulfilled his responsibilities throughout the marriage.
Mrs. Onyegbula alleged that she was repeatedly assaulted by her husband, claiming he grabbed her by the neck, choked her and lifted her off the ground despite knowing that she suffers from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. She told the court the assaults occurred about three times yearly and cited an October 2012 incident following a visit to the respondent’s mother during which she allegedly lost consciousness after being assaulted in the presence of their children. She claimed he later took her to The Premier Specialists’ Medical Centre in Lekki in the early hours of the morning but left before she received proper treatment. According to her, she later received further treatment at Eye Foundation Hospital for injuries sustained during the incident and reserved the right to institute separate civil proceedings over the alleged assaults after the matrimonial case.
The respondent denied assaulting his wife and instead alleged that she became violent during disagreements by smashing television sets, grabbing him by the neck and attacking him physically. The petitioner dismissed the claim as false, arguing that her medical condition made such conduct impossible and further alleged that their son contradicted the respondent’s account during a conference call with some of his friends.
Mrs. Onyegbula also alleged that while recovering from hip replacement surgery, she was assaulted by the respondent’s brother’s wife at the family home in their village in the presence of the respondent and other relatives, who allegedly failed to intervene. She claimed the injuries required additional treatment in the United States and eventually led to another surgery in 2014. The respondent denied the allegation.
Beyond the alleged physical violence, the petitioner accused her husband of sustained emotional abuse, claiming he frequently withheld affection, abandoned the matrimonial home for days without explanation, body shamed her and portrayed her to relatives as perpetually ill and financially dependent while taking credit for her financial contributions. The respondent denied the claims and insisted that he always cared for his wife.
She further accused him of repeated infidelity, alleging that during an illness in 2016 he admitted to multiple extra marital affairs, including an alleged relationship with a pregnant married woman in Ikeja. She also alleged that he maintained inappropriate relationships with female domestic workers and behaved inappropriately towards her younger sister. The respondent denied all allegations of infidelity and inappropriate conduct.
Mrs. Onyegbula also disputed the respondent’s claim that he financed their wedding, alleging that he was unemployed when they got married and that she paid for both the traditional and church weddings, purchased his wedding attire and ring, bought her own ring and covered expenses for both families. She further claimed she later secured employment opportunities for him through her personal contacts.
According to the petitioner, she remained the family’s primary breadwinner throughout the marriage, paying for the children’s education, accommodation, household expenses, medical bills, family travel and their son’s education at New York University in the United States. She also claimed to have financed her father in law’s business, paid his rent for years, bought the respondent’s first vehicle and supported members of his extended family. Although she acknowledged that the respondent paid school fees while the children attended school in Nigeria, she maintained that his financial contributions were comparatively minimal and alleged that he only began sending monthly support of one thousand dollars in June 2025 after sustained pressure. The respondent denied being financially dependent on his wife and maintained that he consistently provided for the family.
The petitioner further alleged that after contributing N8 million towards the purchase of a family property, she discovered that the title documents listed the respondent as the sole purchaser, while later revisions merely included her as a witness. She claimed the respondent’s mother advised him not to include her name because she might claim ownership if the marriage ended in divorce. She also alleged that the respondent threatened her after she sought her father’s intervention. The respondent denied the allegations.
Mrs. Onyegbula equally disputed the respondent’s account of their honeymoon, alleging that he refused marital intimacy after she questioned his decision to alter the seating arrangement at their wedding reception without her consent. The respondent maintained that it was the petitioner who refused intimacy.
The petitioner told the court that years of alleged violence, emotional abuse, infidelity and manipulation had irretrievably destroyed the marriage, worsened her medical condition and left her emotionally traumatised. She urged the court to dissolve the marriage.
Following the close of pleadings, Justice O. O. Ogunjobi adjourned the matter until October 2, 2026, for trial.
