A 37-year-old Nigerian woman has reportedly gone missing in Qatar, sparking fears for her safety after she disappeared shortly after leaving Doha airport.
The woman, who travelled from Lagos to Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1408 on Tuesday, has been unreachable by her family since shortly before the aircraft landed.
Her brother, Jonathan Jibo, raised the alarm after more than 48 hours passed without contact with his sister, who was visiting Qatar for the first time and reportedly had no friends in the country.
The latest development has heightened concerns after a Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) official, Michael Achimugu, confirmed that the woman was captured on airport CCTV arriving safely, collecting her luggage and exiting the terminal.
Achimugu, the NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, said the next crucial step was to establish what happened after she left the airport.
He said checks were being made to determine whether she reached the hotel she had booked before travelling and whether she was picked up by the hotel’s designated vehicle.
According to him, every Qatar visa booking is linked to a specific hotel reservation, making the hotel a key point in efforts to trace her movements.
He said Discover Qatar would verify the hotel details and establish whether she actually checked in.
The NCAA official also disclosed that the airline had been alerted to concerns over possible human trafficking and forced labour, although he stressed that he was assisting the family in his personal capacity and that the matter was outside his official duties.
Achimugu said if it was established that the woman never reached her hotel, authorities would step up efforts to locate her.
Meanwhile, Jibo said his sister had worked at Lagos airport for nearly 12 years and was expected to resume a new job in Doha weeks after her arrival.
He said her accommodation had been arranged and paid for months before the trip, while a person assigned to pick her up at the airport reportedly waited but could not find her.
The family became increasingly worried after learning from the airline that she had collected her luggage and left the terminal.
Jibo, in an appeal on X, said he could no longer reach his sister’s phone and had no idea what had happened to her.
He subsequently appealed to the Nigerian Embassy in Doha and other relevant authorities to intervene.
In a Saturday update, Jibo said his sister’s details had been forwarded to President Bola Tinubu in Doha and subsequently to the Nigerian Embassy in Qatar.
The family is now waiting for an update from the embassy, with hopes that checks at the hotel and other inquiries will shed light on the woman’s whereabouts.
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