Nigerians living in the United Kingdom have raised alarm over a growing trend of spousal disputes leading to visa revocations, with reports indicating that partners are exploiting relationship breakdowns to report each other to UK immigration authorities.
Nigerians residing in the United Kingdom have expressed growing concern over what they describe as a disturbing trend of visa cancellations reportedly triggered by marital disputes, according to PUNCH reporting.
The report indicates that some spouses, particularly women, have allegedly been reporting their dependent husbands or fiancés to the British Home Office following relationship breakdowns, leading to the revocation of visas. While some women cited domestic abuse as justification, community leaders and legal experts have described the pattern as alarming.
Benjamin Kuti, a former president of the Nigerian community in the UK, popularly known as Oluomo of Derby, noted a recent surge in such cases, which he said now occur “almost weekly.” Describing the practice as “pure wickedness,” Kuti urged Nigerians to exercise restraint. “Every other week, we’re hearing stories of people cancelling their partner’s visa just because the relationship ended. Reporting them to the Home Office or revoking their stay isn’t justice, it’s cruelty,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Kuti shared a screenshot of a message from the Home Office confirming a visa cancellation under the Skilled Worker Route, which ends on January 3, 2026.
Legal practitioner Dele Olawanle called the situation an “epidemic,” lamenting that even couples with children are now reporting one another to authorities, often leading to criminal charges.
Other Nigerians on social media shared similar experiences, including cases of imprisonment and financial loss. “Everyone is looking for a way to inflict pain on the other,” one user lamented, describing the situation as a “sad reality” in the diaspora community.