The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed that a 37-year-old Nigerian woman who was reported missing after arriving in Doha, Qatar, has been located safely and reunited with her family.
The NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, announced this in a post on his X account on Sunday.
According to him, the woman’s phone and international passport were retained by Qatari Customs as authorities worked to resolve certain issues.
“FINAL UPDATE: I have spoken with the lady. She is safe. Her mobile phone and international passport were held by Customs who were trying to clarify some issues. She was unable to reach anyone while the process was ongoing. However, she has been cleared and released, and has possession of her properties. She has contacted her family, too,” Achimugu wrote.
The NCAA official also commended a Nigerian, Yusuf Adesoga, who he said collaborated with him and visited security agencies in Doha before eventually tracking down the woman.
“I would like to thank a dear Nigerian, @YusufAdesoga, who collaborated wot me and, at great inconvenience, visited all security agencies in Doha, and eventually tracked the lady to where she was found today. Mr. Yusuf is exemplary, and I appreciate his effort,” he said.
Achimugu also commended the woman’s brother, Jonathan Jibo, for raising the alarm after she became unreachable.
“I must also acknowledge the lady’s brother, Jibo, for sounding the alarm bell when his sister went incommunicado. He refused to back down, and his effort got millions of Nigerians united in an effort to find his sister,” he said.
Achimugu had earlier raised concerns about the woman’s whereabouts after the airline confirmed through CCTV footage that she had arrived safely in Doha, collected her luggage and exited the airport terminal.
The woman had travelled from Lagos to Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1408 and reportedly lost contact with her family shortly before or after the aircraft landed.
Her brother had said she was travelling to Doha for the first time and had no friends in the country.
He also said her accommodation had been arranged and paid for months before the trip, while a designated pick-up person waited at the airport but could not locate her.
The woman, who had reportedly worked at Lagos airport for almost 12 years, was expected to resume work in Doha weeks after her arrival.
In an earlier update on Sunday, Jibo said his sister had been found in a hospital after falling ill.
“Good news… My sister has been found today, she was sick and was taken to the hospital from the airport,” he said.
Responding to a question about the brother’s claim that the woman was found in a hospital, Achimugu said, “Yeah. Customs took her to the hospital for obvious reasons. The important thing is that she was cleared of any wrongdoing.”
