Onijah Andrew Robinson gained internet fame after traveling to Pakistan to marry a teenager she met online. According to The Independent, the 32-year-old later refused to leave the country, demanded thousands of dollars, and stated that she wished to “rebuild” the country.
In October 2024, the New York woman went to Karachi, Pakistan, to meet and wed Nidal Ahmed Memon, a 19-year-old Pakistani man. However, she claims that Memon rejected her when she arrived and claimed that his family opposed the marriage, leaving her “stranded” in Karachi for a few days while her tourist visa expired.
According to reports, funds were raised to allow her to go back home, but she declined.
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Her story made her into a TikTok sensation. Robinson had nowhere to go after being rejected by her purported lover, so she set out to explore Karachi. She lingered outside Memon’s house for a bit, but discovered that the entire family had left and closed the house.
A man identifying himself as Jeremiah Robinson and claiming to be her son, however, stated in an appearance with Pakistani TV that his mother had “mental bipolar disorder” and that the marriage to Memon never happened.
“I’m trying to help her as her son to come back to the U.S. She was only supposed to go to Pakistan to meet him and his family,” he said in a video. It was uncertain how old he was and whether he was her son.
Meanwhile, Robinson stated, “I’m asking for 100K or more,” during a news conference appearance in Pakistan. “I need 20K by this week, in my pockets, in cash. That’s a demand to the government.”
Initially, it looked like she was requesting the funds in order to remain in Pakistan and begin a new life. However, it was unclear who she was requesting the money from and why, amidst the flood of thousands of videos. In multiple clips, she expresses her intention to enhance critical services in Pakistan, such as infrastructure and local transportation services.
Another video that went viral on TikTok showed her requesting “two thousand or more every week,” “more than five thousand dollars in USD,” and “I want 20K up front, 5K-10K to stay here every week, and I want those demands from the government right away.”
Despite being turned down, she once declared that she was going to Dubai with Memon and that she intended to establish a family, saying, “Make sure you get this on your camera; I’m married to Nidal Ahmed Memon; we are moving to Dubai very soon. We’re going to have our baby in Dubai.”
When pressed further on her statement, she declined to elaborate, claiming it was against her religion to “tell you my business.”
As per the Daily Mail, when Robinson’s tourist visa expired, an NGO reportedly offered to assist her with a flight back to the United States. However, she refused.
Media reports said that she was at Karachi International Airport on January 29 when she refused to go through immigration procedures and board a Qatar Airways flight to New York.
Robinson’s expired visa was extended and a flight back to the U.S. was arranged with the assistance of Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori, according to Arab News, but she did not board the plane.
According to a representative for the U.S. embassy in Karachi, “the mission was aware of the situation but could not comment due to privacy laws,” Arab News reported.
Shortly after, Robinson was shown in another video saying that she would be open to returning home.
“I would like you guys to book my ticket back to New York,” she said in a clip, according to the outlet. “Money is short right now, and I will appreciate it.”
