A 37-year-old Nigerian woman who was declared missing after arriving in Doha, Qatar, has been found safe in a hospital, her family has confirmed.
The development came after concern over her whereabouts following her arrival in Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1408 from Lagos.
Her brother, Jonathan Jibo, had earlier said she was travelling to Qatar for the first time and had no friends in the country.
He also said accommodation had been arranged and paid for months before her trip, while a designated person who was to pick her up from the airport could not locate her.
The woman, who had reportedly worked at Lagos airport for nearly 12 years, was expected to resume work in Doha weeks after her arrival.
Her disappearance prompted appeals to the Nigerian Embassy in Qatar and other authorities as her family and members of the public sought information about her whereabouts.
Jibo, who raised the alarm on social media, confirmed on Sunday that his sister had been located.
According to him, she fell ill after arriving in Qatar and was taken from the airport to a hospital.
“Good news… My sister has been found today, she was sick and was taken to the hospital from the airport,” Jibo wrote.
He expressed appreciation to those who supported the search effort, particularly the Nigerian Embassy in Doha, Qatar Airways and the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu.
“A big thanks to each and everyone of you online.
“The Nigerian Embassy in Doha, to ‘The Boss’ Michael Achimugu @mikeachimugu01 and the Qatar Airways Admin, who was kind and understanding.
“A big thanks to everyone who liked, repost, shared, tagged and commented towards her safety.
“My family and I are forever grateful.”
The confirmation followed concerns raised by Achimugu barely a day earlier after checks with the airline established that the woman had arrived in Doha and left the airport.
“I have confirmed, via the airline, that CCTV shows your sister arrived safely, picked her bags, and exited the terminal,” Achimugu had said.
He later said efforts were underway to determine whether she had arrived at the hotel booked for her before travelling, amid concerns for her safety.
In a subsequent update, Achimugu disclosed that he had received information that the woman was safe and had been sighted.
“I am being informed that the lady is safe, and has been sighted.
“She is with fellow Nigerians at the moment, but I cannot disclose details until I have heard from her directly. All will be well,” he said.
