A decades-long marriage has descended into a bitter legal battle before the High Court of Lagos State, with Nnedimma Onyegbula, a Nigerian lawyer now based in the United States, accusing her husband, Sonny Onyegbula, an employee of MTN Nigeria, of subjecting her to years of physical violence, emotional abuse, infidelity, financial manipulation and intimidation. She also insists that she was the principal financier of the family throughout the marriage.
The allegations are contained in the Petitioner’s Reply to the Respondent’s Answer to the Petition filed before the court in Suit No. LD/26404WD/2026, in which Mrs. Onyegbula responded point-by-point to her husband’s defence and urged the court to dissolve the marriage on the ground that it has broken down irretrievably.
The respondent, however, denied the allegations in his Answer to the Petition, maintaining that he neither abused nor neglected his wife or family and insisting that many of the accusations levelled against him are false.
In her latest court filing, the petitioner painted a picture of what she described as a long and painful marriage characterised by cruelty, repeated violence, emotional neglect and financial hardship, despite her claim that she bore the greater burden of sustaining the family.
Among the most serious allegations in her reply are claims of repeated physical abuse.
According to the petitioner, contrary to her husband’s denial, he repeatedly assaulted her during the marriage by grabbing her by the neck, choking her and lifting her off the ground, despite being aware that she suffers from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia.
She alleged that the violence became so frequent that she was physically assaulted approximately three times each year.
One incident highlighted in the court documents allegedly occurred in October 2012 following a visit to the respondent’s mother.
According to her, the respondent violently 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 medical care.
She further alleged that she subsequently required treatment at Eye Foundation Hospital for injuries sustained during the incident.
She also disclosed that she reserves the right to institute separate civil proceedings against the respondent over the alleged assaults after the matrimonial proceedings have concluded.
The respondent denied ever assaulting his wife.
Instead, according to the petitioner’s reply, he 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.
The petitioner dismissed that version of events as fabricated, arguing that her documented medical condition made it physically impossible for her to overpower her husband.
She also claimed that their son refuted the respondent’s version of events during a conference call with some of the respondent’s friends.
Mrs. Onyegbula also narrated another incident, which she described as traumatic.
She alleged that while recovering from a major hip replacement surgery, she was physically assaulted by the respondent’s brother’s wife at the respondent’s family home in their village.
According to her, the assault occurred in the respondent’s presence and in the presence of other family members, yet no one intervened.
She claimed that her young children witnessed the incident and cried outside the locked room while she was allegedly being beaten.
She further alleged that the injuries she sustained eventually required additional medical treatment in the United States, culminating in another surgery in 2014.
The respondent denied that the alleged assault occurred as described.
Beyond the allegations of physical violence, the petitioner accused her husband of systematic emotional abuse.
She alleged that he regularly withheld affection as punishment whenever disagreements arose and frequently left the matrimonial home for days without explanation.
According to her, he repeatedly refused even simple gestures of affection, including hugging her, despite appeals from her and interventions by some of his friends.
She further alleged that he constantly body-shamed her, compared her unfavourably with other women and made comments about the physical attributes he preferred in women.
The petitioner also accused the respondent of manipulating relatives by portraying her as perpetually ill and financially dependent while taking credit for her financial contributions.
The respondent denied the allegations of emotional abuse and maintained that he had always cared for his wife.
One of the more sensational allegations in the petitioner’s reply concerns alleged infidelity.
She 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 those confessions involved an alleged relationship with a pregnant married woman whom he regularly visited in Ikeja while her husband was away at work.
The petitioner argued that those admissions confirmed her longstanding suspicions regarding his conduct during the marriage.
She further accused the respondent of maintaining inappropriate relationships with female domestic workers employed in their home.
She alleged that concerns over his conduct eventually led to the removal of one domestic employee and the dismissal of several others over the years.
She also alleged that the respondent behaved inappropriately towards her younger sister over an extended period, creating tension within the family.
The respondent denied the allegations of infidelity and inappropriate conduct.
The petitioner also strongly disputed the respondent’s claim that he organised and financed their wedding.
Instead, 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, purchased the respondent’s wedding attire, shoes and ring, paid for her own wedding ring and covered expenses incurred by both families.
She further claimed that after the wedding, the respondent moved into the home she shared with her elder sister before they later secured their first apartment, which she said was furnished entirely by her family.
She also alleged that she secured employment opportunities for the respondent through influential contacts after he became unemployed.
Beyond the wedding, she claimed that she funded major family expenses throughout the marriage, including the children’s education, family travel, household expenses, accommodation, medical bills and their son’s education at New York University in the United States.
She alleged that she also financed her father-in-law’s business, paid his rent for several years, purchased the respondent’s first vehicle and contributed significantly to the welfare of his extended family.
While acknowledging that the respondent paid the children’s school fees while they attended school in Nigeria, she maintained that his contributions were minimal compared to hers.
According to her, he only began sending monthly financial support of $1,000 from around June 2025 after sustained pressure.
The respondent, however, maintained in his defence that he consistently provided for his family and denied claims that he was financially dependent on his wife.
The petitioner further alleged that after contributing ₦8 million towards the purchase of a property, she discovered that the documents prepared by the respondent’s family reflected him as the sole purchaser.
According to her, subsequent revisions merely listed her as a witness rather than a co-owner, despite her financial contribution.
She further alleged that the respondent’s mother instructed him not to include her name on the title documents because she might claim ownership if the marriage ended in divorce.
The petitioner also claimed that when she sought assistance from her father regarding the issue, the respondent threatened that she would be harmed if she involved her relatives again.
The respondent denied any wrongdoing regarding the property transaction.
The petitioner equally rejected the respondent’s account of events during their honeymoon.
She alleged that it was the respondent who refused marital intimacy throughout their stay at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja after she questioned his unilateral decision to alter the seating arrangement at their wedding reception.
According to her, he falsely informed her cousin that she had approved the high-table arrangement, contrary to plans they had jointly agreed upon.
The respondent had maintained that it was the petitioner who refused intimacy during the honeymoon.
The petitioner told the court that years of alleged violence, emotional abuse, infidelity and manipulation ultimately destroyed the marriage.
She maintained that the respondent’s conduct worsened her already fragile medical condition and left her emotionally traumatised.
She urged the court to dissolve the marriage, arguing that it had become intolerable for her to continue living with the respondent.
Following the close of pleadings, the trial judge, Justice O. O. Ogunjobi, adjourned the matter until October 2, 2026, for trial.
