The bizarre journey of American woman Onijah Andrew Robinson in Pakistan: Everything you need to know

Onijah Andrew Robinson really took "going the extra mile for love" to a whole new level, but instead of a mile, it was 7,000. The 33-year-old American woman has left Pakistan for New York after a volatile three-month stay that started with a search for love and ended with a medical diagnosis and widespread media attention.

Robinson arrived in Karachi in October 2024, prepared to begin life with her virtual love, Nidal Ahmed Memon. However, the family of Memon did not exactly welcome her with open arms.

In fact, according to reports, they vanished promptly and Robinson was left alone with nothing but her determination and an expiring visa.

Now, anyone would have seen that as an opportunity to call it a day and leave the place. Robinson, however, chose to hang around and make things exciting.

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Onijah Andrew Robinson's Pakistan journey

Robinson's story was picked up by activist Zaffar Abbas and posted on social media, with Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori stepping in to help her out with her now-expired visa and booking her a flight out of the country, Arab News reported.

But Robinson had other plans–– big ones. Rather than cash the free ticket out, she jetted to a press conference with demands that caused jaws to drop.

She requested Pakistani citizenship and financial compensation amounting to a whopping $100,000 from the Pakistani government, of which $20,000 of the amount should be in cash.

She said it was for rehabilitating the country, and that she was married to Memon, planning to move to Dubai to start a family. Well, at least she had a vision.

She told the local media:

“My plan is to rebuild this entire country. I'm asking for $100k, and I need $20k in cash by the end of this week. That's my demand from the government.”

“The government needs to fix these streets… it’s ridiculous here, I don’t like it. You all need to understand that Pakistan needs new buses, taxis, and cars. Please listen to me, my name is Onijah Ahmed, wife of Nidal Ahmed.”

At this point, it sounded more like an urban development planner than a romantic getaway.

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Why did she do it?

Robinson's activities and ultimatum prompted suspicion, leading her son, Jeremiah Andrew Robinson, to publicly reveal that his mother suffers from Bipolar disorder, as per Pakistani news agency GeoTV.

He confessed that he, along with all his brothers, attempted to get their mother back to the US but she refused. Robinson was then placed inside Karachi's Psychiatric Ward at Jinnah Post Graduate Hospital for the betterment.

Bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) is a mental condition characterized by extreme mood swings.

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The social media virality

With the press conferences, public sit-ins, and viral interviews, Robinson went viral on the internet. For example, in one interview when GeoTV asked her why she was not leaving, she responded:

"If y’all dropping no bread by next week, I think I should leave".

Then, another layer was added to this already wild tale: reports surfaced that Robinson may have catfished Memon using filters, allegedly making herself appear as a blonde white woman online. So when she showed up in Karachi, there may have been a few surprises.

Despite the chaos, some Pakistani men offered marriage proposals to Robinson. Muhammad Ismail, one such contender, was quoted as saying by Arab News:

"If she wants to settle here, then I’ve bought a new house in Gulshan-e-Maymar [neighborhood]. I will accommodate her there and also give her $5,000."

Robinson received her hospital discharge at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center on February 7 before departing Pakistan on Friday night.

The U.S. consulate in Karachi maintained silence because of privacy restrictions yet acknowledged the situation's existence. Pakistan's foreign office avoided giving any official statements and directed all questions to Sindh provincial authorities.

Robinson's story has become a sensation on social media, with users breaking down the situation and expressing a mix of amusement and concern.

Was this an epic love story, an international misunderstanding, or a brand-new genre of public spectacle?