A 37-year-old Nigerian woman who was declared missing after arriving in Doha, Qatar, has been found safe in a hospital, her family has announced.
The PUNCH had reported that the woman, who travelled from Lagos to Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1408, reportedly lost contact with her family shortly before or after the aircraft landed.
Jonathan Jibo had earlier said his sister was travelling to Doha for the first time and had no friends in the country.
He said her accommodation had been arranged and paid for months before the trip, while a designated pick-up person had 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 had triggered concern among her family and online users, with appeals made to the Nigerian Embassy in Qatar and other authorities to help establish her whereabouts.
Her brother, Jibo, who raised the alarm on social media, confirmed on Sunday that she had been located.
According to Jibo in an update on X, his sister became ill after arriving in Qatar and was taken from the airport to a hospital.
He said, “Good news… My sister has been found today, she was sick and was taken to the hospital from the airport.”
He expressed gratitude to those who helped amplify the search, including the Nigerian Embassy in Doha, Qatar Airways and the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu.
“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, repost, shared, tagged and commented towards her safety.
“My family and I are forever grateful.”
The development came barely 24 hours after Achimugu had raised concerns over the woman’s whereabouts, saying checks by the airline showed 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 being made to establish whether she had reached the hotel booked for her before travelling, amid concerns about her safety.
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.
