A couple that took the plunge and got hitched just three weeks after they met have not seen each other in five years.
Sarah and Oluyemi Sholagbade started talking online in April 2015 after Oluyemi commented on her Facebook video.
The pair hit it off, and she travelled to Nigeria in April 2016, where they married soon after. Things seemed perfect, until they hit a major bump in the road.
The pair had started as friends, discussing a video 'trying to stop racism' that Sarah had posted on Facebook.
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"I messaged him from there, and we were just friends to start with before we spoke by phone one time, and I just knew automatically that I kind of liked him," Sarah explained.
However, it wasn't smooth sailing, with Oluyemi being in a relationship at the time.
Soon enough though, he decided to break that off to be with Sarah.
"At first, it was more friendship, and then it blossomed into romance, but it did feel a bit strange because I wasn’t there with him," Sarah explained.
As their relationship developed the pair decided it was time to meet face to face. Around this time she applied for a visa for Oluyemi, who had asked her not to – the visa was rejected.
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Still, the pair weren't deterred and wanted to see each other in person.
Though, when Sarah initially touched down in Nigeria, she felt anxious.
"I visited him in April 2016 – I was scared when I got to the airport, but when I saw him everything just felt right.
"I felt comfortable straight away, I just felt like everything just clicked into place – I played it cool because I thought I didn’t want to make myself look a fool."
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The pair decided to go all in and tie the knot just a few weeks later.
Still, Sarah's family didn't know about the marriage, so it was a bit of a shock when she got back. Fair play.
"They were shocked but they’re supportive now," Sarah admitted.
And with her family onboard, Sarah flew back to Nigeria a few times to see her husband - the last time they saw each other was in March 2017, for her birthday.
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Oluyemi had arranged a BBQ for Sarah's birthday with all his friends and family.
When Sarah got back to the UK, she decided to apply for a visa a second time, however, she checked the wrong box on the application form asking if she'd ever applied on Oluyemi's behalf.
The application was, again, rejected and it's now been five years since the couple has seen each other, due to the pandemic and cost of living crisis.
Now, the couple has spent over £5,000 on solicitors fees trying to correct the issue but have made no headway.
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When asked about the case, a spokesperson for the Home Office said: "We do not routinely comment on individual cases.
"All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the immigration rules."
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