The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is assisting in the search for a 37-year-old Nigerian woman who has been unreachable since landing in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday.
Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, confirmed on Saturday that Qatar Airways CCTV footage shows the woman arrived safely aboard flight QR1408 from Lagos, collected her luggage, and exited the airport terminal.
The passenger, who worked at Lagos airport for nearly 12 years, was traveling to Qatar for the first time and was scheduled to take up employment in Doha.
Hotel checks delayed by public holidays
Achimugu stated that authorities are working to determine whether the woman reached her pre-booked hotel. Under Qatari visa regulations, all entries are tied to specific hotel reservations.
“Discover Qatar will check to confirm the name of her hotel, and whether she did, indeed, get to the hotel,” Achimugu said, adding that public holidays had slowed verification efforts.
He noted that if records show she failed to check in, a formal search operation would be launched. Concerns regarding potential human trafficking and forced labour have also been flagged to the airline.
Achimugu clarified that he is acting in a personal capacity to assist the distressed family, as the matter falls outside his official regulatory jurisdiction.
Family raises alarm
The woman’s brother, Jonathan Jibo, raised the alarm on social media platform X after losing contact with her shortly before the flight landed.
Jibo explained that an assigned pickup driver waited at the airport terminal but could not locate her, despite confirmation that her luggage had been retrieved.
The family confirmed that her details have been forwarded to the Nigerian Embassy in Qatar, with official updates expected on Monday when embassy operations resume following the weekend.
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