A Nigerian lawyer based in America, Mrs Nnedimma Onyegbula, has asked the High Court of Lagos State to dissolve her marriage to her husband, Sonny Onyegbula, a staff member of MTN Nigeria, alleging years of domestic violence, emotional abuse, infidelity, and financial manipulation.

The allegations are contained in the petitioner’s reply to the respondent’s answer filed in suit marked LD/26404WD/2026 before Justice O. O. Ogunjobi.

Mrs Onyegbula urged the court to dissolve the marriage on the ground that it has broken down irretrievably.
The respondent, however, denied the allegations in his defence, maintaining that he neither abused nor neglected his wife and family, insisting that the claims against him are false.

In her latest court filing, the petitioner alleged that she suffered repeated physical assaults during the marriage, claiming that her husband frequently grabbed her by the neck, choked her, and assaulted her despite knowing that she suffers from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia.

She claimed that one of the assaults occurred in October 2012 after a visit to the respondent’s mother, alleging that she was beaten unconscious before being taken to a hospital in Lekki and later treated for injuries at another medical facility.

The petitioner also alleged that while recovering from hip replacement surgery, she was assaulted by her husband’s brother’s wife in the presence of family members, an incident she said later required further medical treatment in the United States.

She further accused her husband of emotional abuse, claiming that he regularly withheld affection, left home for days without explanation, body-shamed her, and portrayed her as financially dependent despite her contributions to the family.

Mrs Onyegbula also alleged that the respondent confessed to multiple extra-marital affairs during an illness in 2016 and maintained inappropriate relationships with female domestic workers.

She further claimed that she financed both their traditional and church weddings because the respondent was unemployed at the time, paid for major household expenses throughout the marriage, funded their children’s education, including studies in the United States, and supported members of his extended family financially.

The petitioner also alleged that despite contributing N8 million towards the purchase of a family property, she was excluded from the ownership documents.
She told the court that years of alleged violence, emotional abuse, infidelity, and intimidation had made the marriage intolerable and asked the court to dissolve the union.

In his answer to the Petition, the respondent denied assaulting his wife, denied allegations of infidelity and emotional abuse, and maintained that he consistently provided for his family.

He also disputed the petitioner’s account of several incidents during the marriage, including claims relating to their finances, wedding expenses, honeymoon, and ownership of family property.

Justice Ogunjobi has adjourned the matter until October 2, 2026, for trial.