Wale Igbintade
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, Sonny Onyegbula, of years of domestic violence, emotional abuse, infidelity, financial manipulation and intimidation.
In a reply filed in the ongoing divorce proceedings, Mrs. Onyegbula also claimed she was the family’s primary breadwinner throughout the marriage. Mr. Onyegbula has denied all the allegations.
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 High Court of Lagos State to dissolve the marriage on the ground that it has broken down irretrievably.
Among her most serious allegations are repeated claims of physical abuse.
She alleged that 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. According to her, the assaults occurred about three times a year.
She cited an October 2012 incident following a visit to the respondent’s mother, alleging that he assaulted her in the presence of their children until she lost consciousness. She claimed he later took her to The Premier Specialists’ Medical Centre in Lekki around 3:00 a.m. but abandoned her there before she received proper treatment.
According to her, she subsequently underwent treatment at Eye Foundation Hospital for injuries sustained during the incident.
Mrs. Onyegbula also told the court she reserves the right to institute separate civil proceedings over the alleged assaults after the matrimonial case is concluded.
The respondent denied ever assaulting his wife. Instead, according to the petitioner’s reply, he alleged that she became violent during disagreements by smashing television sets, grabbing him by the neck and physically attacking him.
The petitioner dismissed the allegation as fabricated, arguing that her medical condition made such attacks impossible, and claimed their son contradicted the respondent’s account during a conference call with some of his friends.
She also alleged 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.
According to her, the injuries later required further treatment in the United States, culminating in another surgery in 2014.
The respondent denied the allegation.
Beyond the alleged physical violence, Mrs. Onyegbula accused 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 denied the allegations, insisting he always cared for his wife.
She also accused 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 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.
The petitioner also disputed 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 claimed she later secured employment opportunities for him through her contacts.
Mrs. Onyegbula alleged 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 claimed 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 maintained his contributions were comparatively minimal and alleged he only began sending monthly support of $1,000 around June 2025 after sustained pressure.
The respondent denied being financially dependent on his wife and maintained that he consistently provided for the family.
Mrs. Onyegbula 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 when she sought her father’s intervention, the respondent threatened her. The respondent denied any wrongdoing.
She equally disputed 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 maintained 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.
