A 37-year-old Nigerian woman who was reported missing after arriving in Doha, Qatar, has been found safe in a hospital, her family has confirmed.
The Telegraph had reported that the woman, who travelled from Lagos to Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1408, lost contact with her family shortly before or after the aircraft landed.
Her brother, Jonathan Jibo, had said she was travelling to Doha for the first time and had no friends in the country.
According to him, her accommodation had been arranged and paid for months before the trip, while a designated pickup person waited at the airport but could not locate her.
The woman, who had reportedly worked at Lagos airport for nearly 12 years, was expected to resume work in Doha weeks after her arrival.
Her disappearance sparked concern among family members and social media users, prompting appeals to the Nigerian Embassy in Qatar and other authorities for assistance in locating her.
However, Jibo confirmed on Sunday that his sister had been found.
In an update on X, he said she fell ill after arriving in Qatar and was taken from the airport to a hospital.
“Good news… My sister has been found today, she was sick and was taken to the hospital from the airport,” Jibo wrote.
He expressed appreciation to those who helped amplify the search, including the Nigerian Embassy in Doha, Qatar Airways and Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
“A big thanks to each and everyone of you online. The Nigerian Embassy in Doha, to ‘The Boss’ Michael Achimugu @mikeachimugu01 and the Qatar Airways Admin, who was kind and understanding.
“A big thanks to everyone who liked, reposted, shared, tagged and commented towards her safety. My family and I are forever grateful,” he said.
The development came less than 24 hours after Achimugu raised concerns about the woman’s whereabouts, saying checks with the airline indicated that she had arrived safely in Doha, collected her luggage and exited the airport.
“I have confirmed, via the airline, that CCTV shows your sister arrived safely, picked her bags, and exited the terminal,” Achimugu had said.
He subsequently said efforts were underway to determine whether she had reached the hotel that had been booked for her before the trip.
In a later update, Achimugu said he had received information that the woman was safe and had been sighted.
“I am being informed that the lady is safe, and has been sighted. She is with fellow Nigerians at the moment, but I cannot disclose details until I have heard from her directly. All will be well,” he said.
