By Segun Ojumu
DOHA — Nigeria’s ambassador to Qatar has won praise from diaspora officials following his rapid intervention to secure the safety of a Nigerian national caught in a devastating gas facility explosion in Ras Laffan.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) confirmed that Jubril Abdulrahman is now recuperating after being caught in the major industrial blast and subsequent fire that tore through the Barzan Gas Supply Facility on Sunday, 21 June.
The incident triggered an immediate diplomatic response from Nigeria’s ambassador to Qatar, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who swung into action late Sunday night to coordinate with Qatari emergency services and tracking teams.
Ambassador Yakubu’s prompt intervention ensured that Mr. Abdulrahman was pulled from the danger zone, received immediate hospital treatment, and was safely discharged into corporate accommodation provided by his employers.
Diplomatic tracking praised
In a statement issued from Abuja, NiDCOM Chairman and CEO Abike Dabiri-Erewa commended the ambassador for his unwavering, round-the-clock monitoring of the situation from the exact moment news of the blast broke.
The commission noted that Ambassador Yakubu’s decisive leadership exemplified the highest standards of dedicated consular service that citizens abroad should expect during international emergencies.
“We are glad that Jubril Abdulrahman is recovering and in safe hands,” Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said, while urging the facility’s operators to maintain full welfare support for the affected worker during his rehabilitation.
Accidental blast
At a high-level press briefing in Doha, state-owned operator Qatar Energy confirmed that the explosion was entirely accidental, ruling out any acts of sabotage or hostility. The facility had only recently been restarted following a planned maintenance shutdown that commenced in December 2025.
The explosion left 66 workers injured, though Qatari authorities confirmed none face life-threatening conditions.
Alongside the Nigerian survivor, the casualties include nationals from Qatar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, India, and Nepal. Emergency response units from Qatar Civil Defence have since brought the industrial site back under full operational control.
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