The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, has launched efforts to establish the whereabouts of a 37-year-old Nigerian woman who has been unreachable since arriving in Doha, Qatar.
The woman travelled from Lagos to Doha on Qatar Airways flight QR1408 on Tuesday. She reportedly communicated with her brother via WhatsApp shortly before the aircraft landed, after which the family lost contact with her.
Achimugu said on Saturday that the airline had reviewed CCTV footage and confirmed that the woman arrived safely in Doha, collected her luggage and exited the airport terminal.
“I have confirmed, via the airline, that CCTV shows your sister arrived safely, picked her bags, and exited the terminal,” he said.
He added that further checks would be carried out to determine whether she subsequently reached the hotel she had booked before travelling.
According to Achimugu, the process had been delayed by the public holidays but was expected to establish whether the woman checked into the hotel and whether she arrived there using the hotel’s designated pick-up vehicle.
He explained that Qatar visa bookings are linked to specific hotel reservations and that Discover Qatar would verify the hotel details and confirm whether she checked in.
“In some cases, passengers arrive at the hotel booked, and then leave quietly. Discover Qatar will check to confirm the name of her hotel, and whether your sister did, indeed, get to the hotel,” Achimugu said.
The NCAA official also said he had alerted the airline to concerns about possible human trafficking or forced labour. He noted that confirmation from the hotel would help determine the appropriate next steps.
“If she did not arrive at the hotel, a manhunt would ensue. It is easy to track people once they have arrived in Doha,” he said.
Achimugu, however, clarified that the matter was not officially within his jurisdiction and that he was assisting the woman’s family.
The woman’s brother, Jonathan Jibo, had raised the alarm on Friday in a post on X, saying it had been more than 48 hours since he last made contact with his sister.
Jibo said she was travelling to Doha for the first time and had no friends there. He added that her accommodation had been arranged and paid for several months before the trip.
According to him, the person assigned to pick her up at the airport waited for her but was unable to locate her, despite the airline confirming that she had collected her luggage.
The woman had reportedly worked at Lagos airport for almost 12 years and was expected to begin work in Doha several weeks after her arrival.
Jibo appealed to the Nigerian Embassy in Doha and other relevant authorities to assist in locating her.
In a further update on Saturday, he said the woman’s details had been forwarded to the Nigerian President in Doha and subsequently to the Nigerian Embassy in Qatar.
The family is now awaiting an update from the embassy, which Jibo said was expected on Monday because the embassy does not operate during weekends.
Authorities are continuing efforts to establish whether the woman reached her booked hotel and what happened after she left Doha airport.
