US woman who traveled to Pakistan for love spotted in New York

Onijah Andrew Robinson, the American woman who made headlines for traveling to Pakistan in search of her online lover, was recently spotted in New York City. She was interviewed on a walkway, reflecting on her tumultuous journey, which included a brief stay in Dubai.

The woman addressed her reported arrest in Dubai, clarifying that she was not officially detained but faced an issue that delayed her return.

“I didn’t go to jail; I was just stuck there in Dubai. It was a situation I couldn’t get over at the time,” she explained.

Discussing her visit to Pakistan, Onijah shared that she had developed a romantic relationship with a Pakistani man and had been dating him online.

“We met through the internet, basically,” she said.

When asked if she intended to return to Pakistan to find her missing boyfriend, she responded vaguely, saying, “We are going to discuss that.” However, she confirmed that she currently has no plans to go back and intends to stay in New York.

Onijah, 33, arrived in Karachi on October 11 with hopes of marrying 19-year-old Nidal Memon, whom she had met online. However, her plans unraveled when Memon’s family rejected the marriage, and he disappeared.

With no valid visa, financial support, or accommodation, she became stranded at Jinnah International Airport for several days. The situation prompted intervention from Pakistani authorities, who attempted to facilitate her return to the US.

Despite multiple efforts to repatriate her, Onijah persistently refused to leave and repeatedly visited her alleged boyfriend’s residence, hoping to find him. Her bizarre ordeal soon turned into a viral sensation, with local media and social platforms closely tracking her actions.

Adding to the spectacle, she made extravagant demands, including land, property in Karachi, and over $100,000 in cash from the government, leaving many baffled.

As authorities struggled to convince her to leave, police maintained constant surveillance to ensure her safety. Eventually, she underwent medical and psychological evaluations at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

After weeks of negotiations, Onijah reluctantly agreed to board flight EK603 to Dubai, where she was supposed to continue her journey back to New York. However, upon arrival in Dubai, she skipped her connecting flight and remained in the UAE.

Reports later emerged that Dubai authorities had detained her, with US diplomatic officials attempting to arrange her deportation.