A former retail banker, Francis Ushie, has recounted how he allegedly became stranded in Nigeria after his wife relocated to Canada with their four children and, according to him, prevented him from contacting or locating the family.
Ushie said he was married to a woman from Obuloku in Delta State and that their marriage had experienced difficulties, including an alleged incident of infidelity. He said he had hoped that relocating to Canada would give the family an opportunity to start afresh and improve their relationship.
According to the former banker, he resigned from his banking job after the family’s application for Canadian permanent residency was approved. However, his wife and four children travelled to Canada ahead of him, while he remained in Nigeria for almost a year because his former employer needed him to complete an audit relating to his position.
Ushie said he eventually travelled to Canada in November 2014, but claimed that things took an unexpected turn immediately after his arrival.
He alleged that his wife refused to provide him with the address where she and the children were staying, leaving him stranded at the airport in Calgary, Alberta.
According to him, he eventually used his return ticket to travel back to Nigeria.
Ushie explained that he later postponed another attempt to return to Canada while pursuing compensation from the Lagos State Government over a demolished property and waiting for funds from his business.
He claimed that he has remained in Nigeria since 2016 and has spent about 11 to 12 years separated from his wife and children.
Describing his situation, the former banker said he had effectively lived like a refugee without a companion for years.
Ushie also alleged that his wife prevented their children from communicating with him. Despite the prolonged separation, he said he remains open to reconciling with his wife.
Appealing directly to his children, Ushie maintained that he had played an active role in providing for them. He claimed that he paid for their passports, airfare and two years of rent after they moved abroad.
He also defended himself as a responsible father and urged his children to remember the support he provided for them.
The former banker’s account has generated mixed reactions online, with some people expressing sympathy while others questioned aspects of his story and argued that more details were needed to understand what led to the breakdown of the marriage.
Some commentators said the situation highlighted the importance of maintaining independent access to essential information and documentation when relocating abroad as a family. Others stressed that there are two sides to every marital dispute and that the allegations made by either spouse should be considered in that context.
Ushie’s account remains his personal version of events, and the claims concerning his wife and their family have not been independently verified.
