A decades-long marriage has become the subject of a bitter legal battle before the High Court of Lagos State, with a Nigerian lawyer based in the United States, Nnedimma Onyegbula, accusing her husband, Sonny Onyegbula, a staff member of MTN Nigeria, of domestic violence, emotional abuse, infidelity, financial manipulation and intimidation.
The allegations are contained in the petitioner’s reply to the respondent’s answer to petition filed in Suit No. LD/26404WD/2026, in which Mrs. Onyegbula responded to her husband’s defence and urged the court to dissolve the marriage on the ground that it has broken down irretrievably.
The respondent has, however, denied the allegations in his answer to the petition, insisting that he neither abused nor neglected his wife and family, and that many of the accusations against him are false.
In her latest court filing, the petitioner alleged that the marriage was marked by cruelty, repeated violence, emotional neglect and financial hardship, despite her claim that she carried the greater burden of sustaining the family.
Mrs. Onyegbula alleged that her husband repeatedly assaulted her during the marriage by grabbing her by the neck, choking her and lifting her off the ground, despite knowing that she suffers from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.
She claimed that the physical assaults occurred about three times every year.
One of the incidents cited in the court documents allegedly occurred in October 2012 after a visit to the respondent’s mother. The petitioner alleged that her husband assaulted her in the presence of their children until she lost consciousness.
She claimed that after taking her to The Premier Specialists’ Medical Centre in Lekki at about 3:00 a.m., the respondent allegedly abandoned her at the hospital without ensuring that she received proper care.
She further alleged that she later required treatment at Eye Foundation Hospital for injuries sustained during the incident.
The petitioner said she reserves the right to institute separate civil proceedings against the respondent over the alleged assaults after the matrimonial proceedings are concluded.
The respondent denied assaulting his wife. According to the petitioner’s reply, he had claimed in his defence that it was the petitioner who became violent during disagreements by smashing television sets, grabbing him by the neck and physically attacking him.
Mrs. Onyegbula dismissed that account as false, arguing that her medical condition made it physically impossible for her to overpower her husband.
She also claimed that their son had refuted the respondent’s version of events during a conference call with some of the respondent’s friends.
The petitioner also narrated another incident she described as traumatic, alleging that while recovering from a major hip replacement surgery, she was assaulted by the respondent’s brother’s wife at the respondent’s family house in the village.
According to her, the alleged assault took place in the respondent’s presence and in the presence of other family members, but no one intervened.
She claimed that her young children witnessed the incident and cried outside the locked room while she was allegedly being beaten.
Mrs. Onyegbula further alleged that injuries from the incident later required medical treatment in the United States, culminating in another surgery in 2014.
The respondent denied that the alleged assault occurred in the manner described.
Beyond the allegations of physical violence, the petitioner accused her husband of emotional abuse, alleging that he regularly withheld affection as punishment whenever disagreements arose and frequently left the matrimonial home for days without explanation.
She also alleged that he repeatedly refused simple gestures of affection, including hugging her, despite appeals from her and interventions by some of his friends.
The petitioner further claimed that the respondent body-shamed her, compared her unfavourably with other women and made remarks about physical features he preferred in women.
She also accused him of manipulating relatives and portraying her as perpetually ill and financially dependent, while allegedly taking credit for her own financial contributions.
The respondent denied the allegations of emotional abuse and maintained that he had always cared for his wife.
On alleged infidelity, Mrs. Onyegbula claimed that during an illness in 2016, when the respondent feared for his life, he voluntarily confessed to engaging in multiple extra-marital affairs.
According to her, one of the alleged confessions involved a relationship with a pregnant married woman whom he allegedly visited regularly in Ikeja while the woman’s husband was away at work.
The petitioner said the alleged admissions confirmed her longstanding suspicions about his conduct during the marriage.
She also accused the respondent of maintaining inappropriate relationships with female domestic workers employed in their home, alleging that concerns over his conduct led to the removal of one domestic employee and the dismissal of several others over the years.
She further alleged that the respondent behaved inappropriately towards her younger sister over an extended period, causing tension within the family.
The respondent denied allegations of infidelity and inappropriate conduct.
Mrs. Onyegbula also disputed the respondent’s claim that he organised and financed their wedding.
She alleged that he was unemployed when they got married and was financially incapable of paying for the ceremonies.
According to her, she financed both the traditional and church weddings, bought the respondent’s wedding attire, shoes and ring, paid for her own wedding ring and covered expenses for both families.
She claimed that after the wedding, the respondent moved into the home she shared with her elder sister before they eventually secured their first apartment, which she said was furnished entirely by her family.
The petitioner further alleged that she secured employment opportunities for the respondent through influential contacts after he became unemployed.
She also claimed that she funded major family expenses throughout the marriage, including the children’s education, family travel, household expenses, accommodation, medical bills and the education of their son at New York University in the United States.
According to her, she also financed her father-in-law’s business, paid his rent for years, bought the respondent’s first vehicle and contributed significantly to the welfare of his extended family.
While acknowledging that the respondent paid school fees for the children while they attended school in Nigeria, she maintained that his overall contributions were minimal compared to hers.
She alleged that he only began sending monthly financial support of $1,000 around June 2025 after sustained pressure.
The respondent, however, maintained that he consistently provided for his family and denied being financially dependent on his wife.
The petitioner also raised allegations relating to a property transaction. She claimed that after contributing ₦8 million towards the purchase of a property, she discovered that documents prepared by the respondent’s family listed him as the sole purchaser.
According to her, later revisions merely listed her as a witness rather than a co-owner, despite her financial contribution.
She alleged that the respondent’s mother instructed him not to include her name on the title because she might claim ownership if the marriage ended in divorce.
Mrs. Onyegbula further claimed that when she sought her father’s intervention over the issue, the respondent threatened that she would be harmed if she involved her relatives again.
The respondent denied wrongdoing in respect of the property transaction.
The petitioner also rejected the respondent’s account of events during their honeymoon.
She alleged that the respondent refused marital intimacy throughout their stay at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, after she questioned his unilateral decision to alter the seating arrangement at their wedding reception.
According to her, he falsely told her cousin that she had approved a high-table arrangement contrary to what they had jointly agreed.
The respondent had maintained that it was the petitioner who refused intimacy during the honeymoon.
Mrs. Onyegbula told the court that years of alleged violence, emotional abuse, infidelity and manipulation destroyed the marriage and worsened her already fragile medical condition.
She urged the court to dissolve the marriage, arguing that it had become intolerable for her to continue living with the respondent.
Following the exchange of pleadings, the trial judge, Justice O. O. Ogunjobi, adjourned the matter till October 2, 2026, for trial.
The allegations remain claims before the court and are yet to be determined.
The post “Marriage Broken Beyond Repair” — US-Based Nigerian Lawyer Accuses MTN Staff Husband Of Violence, Infidelity, Financial Deception In Lagos Divorce Suit appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
