The woman (middle). CREDIT: NCAA
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed that a 37-year-old Nigerian woman who went missing shortly after arriving in Doha, Qatar, has been found safe and reunited with her family.
The NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this in a post on his X account on Sunday.
Achimugu said the woman’s mobile phone and international passport had been held by Qatari Customs while officials sought to clarify some 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,” he wrote.
He said the woman confirmed that she was safe and expressed appreciation to everyone who had shown concern over her whereabouts.
Achimugu also commended a Nigerian, Yusuf Adesoga, for assisting in the search, saying he visited security agencies across Doha before eventually tracking down the woman.
“I would like to thank a dear Nigerian, @YusufAdesoga, who collaborated with 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.
The NCAA official also praised 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 expressed concern over the woman’s whereabouts after the airline confirmed through CCTV footage that she had arrived safely in Doha, collected her luggage and left 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 landing.
Her brother had said she was visiting Doha for the first time and had no friends in the country.
He also disclosed that her accommodation had been arranged and paid for several months before her trip, while a designated pick-up person was waiting at the airport but could not locate her.
The woman, who reportedly worked at Lagos airport for nearly 12 years, was expected to resume work in Doha a few 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 the claim that the woman was found in a hospital, Achimugu said Qatari Customs took her there “for obvious reasons” and stressed that she had been cleared of any wrongdoing.
“Yeah. Customs took her to the hospital for obvious reasons. The important thing is that she was cleared of any wrongdoing,” he said.
