In October 2024, Onijah boarded a flight to Karachi in Pakistan, with hopes of meeting her 19-year-old online boyfriend, Nidal Ahmed Memon.
Onijah had hoped to marry Nidal, but disaster struck when she landed, only to be rejected by Nidal and his family, leaving Onijah stranded in Pakistan.
With nowhere to go, Onijah set up camp outside Nidal’s house, whilst demanding $3,000 a week and a marriage so that she could become a Pakistani citizen.
The family vacated the property, and Onijah began to wander the streets of Karachi, where she became a local celebrity of sorts.
Press and media were intrigued by her story, and interviewed Onijah on several occasions. Clips of these interviews started making the rounds on TikTok, with everyone talking about "the American woman in Pakistan" who seemingly organised her own press conferences where she would make wild requests to the Pakistani government.
In one clip shared on TikTok, Onijah said “I’m asking for $100k, and I need $20k in cash by the end of this week. That’s my demand from the government. Pakistan needs new buses, taxis, and cars.”
At first, it appeared she was asking for the money so that she could stay and start a life in Pakistan. But her intentions became unclear when she spoke of her desire to improve vital services in Pakistan such as infrastructure and local bus services.
When asked by a reporter what she planned to do with the money, Onijah simply said, “It’s none of your business,” citing it was against her religion to answer.
In another interview, Onijah claimed she’d “rebuild the entire country” while insisting she was already married to Nidal.
“Make sure you get this on your camera: I’m married to Nidal Ahmed Memon. We’re moving to Dubai soon and having our baby there.”
Authorities have offered to fly Onijah home free of charge on multiple occasions. Onijah has refused every time.
Onijah’s son, Jeremiah, has spoken out about his mother’s time in Pakistan, and claims she has “mental bipolar disorder”. Onijah has reportedly been admitted to Karachi’s Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for mental health assessments.
However, Dialogue Pakistan reports that a man from Thatta has proposed to Onijah.
While Onijah’s next moves are currently unclear, many online have praised Pakistani’s for treating her with respect and kindness.
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