Wife Accuses Husband of Years of Abuse and Infidelity in Divorce Dispute

Wale Igbintade

Mrs. Nnedimma Onyegbula, a Nigerian lawyer practicing in the United States, has petitioned the High Court of Lagos State to dissolve her long‑standing marriage. She alleges that her husband, Sonny Onyegbula, has subjected her to years of domestic violence, emotional abuse, infidelity, financial manipulation and intimidation.

In a reply filed in the ongoing divorce case, Mrs. Onyegbula also stated that she was the family’s primary breadwinner throughout the marriage. Mr. Onyegbula has denied all of the accusations.

The allegations appear in the Petitioner’s Reply to the Respondent’s Answer in Suit No. LD/26404WD/2026, where Mrs. Onyegbula asks the court to dissolve the marriage on the grounds that it has broken down irretrievably.

Among her most serious claims is repeated physical abuse. She says the respondent repeatedly grabbed her by the neck, choked her and lifted her off the ground, despite knowing she suffers from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia. She estimates these assaults occurred about three times a year.

She cites an October 2012 incident after a visit to the respondent’s mother, alleging that he assaulted her in front of their children until she lost consciousness. She says he later took her to The Premier Specialists’ Medical Centre in Lekki at about 3:00 a.m. but abandoned her there before she received proper treatment.

She subsequently underwent treatment at Eye Foundation Hospital for injuries sustained during that incident.

Mrs. Onyegbula also told the court that she reserves the right to pursue separate civil proceedings over the alleged assaults after the matrimonial case concludes.

The respondent denies ever assaulting his wife. Instead, the petitioner’s reply states that he alleges she became violent during disagreements, smashing television sets, grabbing him by the neck and physically attacking him.

Mrs. Onyegbula dismisses these allegations as fabricated, arguing that her medical condition made such attacks impossible, and claims their son contradicted the respondent’s account during a conference call with some friends.

She also alleges that while recovering from hip replacement surgery, she was assaulted by the respondent’s brother’s wife at the respondent’s family home in the village, in the presence of the respondent and other relatives, none of whom intervened. She says the injuries later required further treatment in the United States, culminating in another surgery in 2014.

The respondent denies this allegation.

Beyond the alleged physical violence, Mrs. Onyegbula accuses her husband of sustained emotional abuse, claiming he routinely 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 denies the allegations, insisting he always cared for his wife.

She also accuses him of repeated infidelity, alleging that during an illness in 2016 he confessed to engaging in multiple extra‑marital affairs, including an alleged relationship with a pregnant married woman in Ikeja.

She further alleges that he maintained inappropriate relationships with female domestic workers and behaved inappropriately towards her younger sister.

The respondent denies all allegations of infidelity and inappropriate conduct.

The petitioner also disputes the respondent’s claim that he financed their wedding. According to her, he was unemployed when they married, and she paid for both the traditional and church weddings, purchased his wedding attire and ring, paid for her own ring and covered expenses for both families.

She further claims she later secured employment opportunities for him through her contacts.

Mrs. Onyegbula alleges that throughout the marriage she bore the greater financial responsibility by 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 claims she 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.

While acknowledging that he paid school fees when the children attended school in Nigeria, she maintains his contributions were comparatively minimal and alleges he only began sending monthly support of $1,000 around June 2025 after sustained pressure.

The respondent denies being financially dependent on his wife and maintains that he consistently provided for the family.

Mrs. Onyegbula further alleges that after contributing N8 million toward 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 claims the respondent’s mother advised him not to include her name because she might claim ownership if the marriage ended in divorce.

She also alleges that when she sought her father’s intervention, the respondent threatened her. The respondent denies any wrongdoing.

She equally disputes the respondent’s account of their honeymoon, alleging that it was he who refused marital intimacy after she questioned his decision to alter the seating arrangement at their wedding reception without her consent.

The respondent maintains that it was the petitioner who refused intimacy.

Mrs. Onyegbula 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.