Nurse Disappears After Traveling from Lagos to Ogun for Private Patient Care
The mysterious disappearance of Ovansa Khadijat, a young Nigerian nurse who reportedly left Lagos for Ogun State to attend to a private patient, has sparked widespread concern across social media and healthcare circles. Her family, particularly her sister Joy, confirmed that she has been missing for several days after she took a cab from Mile 2 in Lagos to Aiyetoro, Ogun State, to provide homecare services for a patient allegedly battling cancer.
This disturbing development has reignited conversations about the vulnerability of healthcare workers—especially nurses and caregivers—who take private home service jobs in Nigeria without adequate safety measures or institutional oversight.
According to her sister Joy, Khadijat left their home in Kogi State two months ago to pursue better employment opportunities in Lagos. Like many young professionals in the healthcare field, she was determined to find a sustainable source of income and professional growth.
“She told me she was leaving for Lagos because she had found a new opportunity,”. “She said her previous employer made her work long hours without rest and that she wanted something better. Khadijat is a hardworking person; she loves nursing and always wanted to help people, especially those who could not afford hospital care.”
A few days before her disappearance, Khadijat reportedly received a job offer to travel to Aiyetoro in Ogun State to care for a patient said to be suffering from cancer. According to Joy, the offer appeared legitimate at first glance—the supposed client claimed to have obtained Khadijat’s contact through a referral.
“Khadijat told me the person who contacted her said his relative needed urgent medical attention at home,” Joy continued. “She said it was a short-term engagement that could help her settle her bills and buy some medical tools. She sounded so happy that morning, but that was the last time we spoke.”
Joy said that her sister’s last known communication was a phone call she made from Mile 2, Lagos, shortly before boarding a cab to Aiyetoro. “She called me that she was on her way and would call again when she arrived,” Joy recalled. “But after several hours, I tried calling her and her number wasn’t reachable. At first, I thought she had poor network coverage, but when it continued into the next day, I became worried.”
Attempts to trace her phone’s last known location reportedly led to a dead end. Family sources say her mobile line has remained switched off since the evening of her trip.
After 24 hours of no contact, Joy reported the matter to the nearest police division in Lagos, and later in Ogun State when it became apparent that Khadijat might have crossed state lines before disappearing. “We went to several stations to make sure her case was logged,” she said. “We’ve been to Mile 2, we’ve gone to Aiyetoro, but there’s still no trace of her.”
The Ogun State Police Command confirmed that a report of a missing person named Ovansa Khadijat had been filed. A senior officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the police have begun tracing her movement through digital and physical surveillance. “We are working with our counterparts in Lagos to establish the point of disappearance,” the officer said. “Our investigation will include her call records, transport route, and any witness who might have seen her that day.”
Police sources also revealed that investigators are examining the possibility of kidnapping or human trafficking, given recent patterns of similar disappearances in the region.
Khadijat’s case has once again highlighted the growing risks faced by Nigerian nurses, particularly those who engage in private homecare services outside regulated hospital systems. Many of these professionals are freelancers—often underpaid, unprotected, and unregistered with formal institutions—leaving them vulnerable to exploitation, violence, and abduction.
Across Nigeria, it is common for individuals to seek nurses for home-based care, especially for elderly or terminally ill patients. However, in the absence of proper verification procedures, nurses who respond to such calls often walk into unknown and potentially dangerous environments.
A representative of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Lagos Chapter, who spoke to LIB, expressed deep concern over the rising cases of missing healthcare workers. “This is not the first time a nurse has disappeared while responding to a homecare call,” he said. “We have lost count of the number of cases where our members have gone missing or were assaulted by fake patients or criminal syndicates pretending to need medical help.”
He further called on government authorities to strengthen the protection of healthcare professionals, adding that “there should be a digital registry of all freelance medical practitioners so that any private engagement can be traced.”
The Mile 2 to Aiyetoro route, where Khadijat was last traced, has been flagged as a security risk corridor by both Lagos and Ogun residents. Reports of kidnappings, highway robberies, and unregulated transport operations have made the area notorious.
Security analysts have noted that many private commuters often use unofficial transport services—vehicles operated without identification or passenger manifests. This anonymity makes it difficult to trace victims once they go missing.
A senior security consultant, Mr. Samuel Awokoya, noted: “When a healthcare worker like Khadijat takes a private cab to an unfamiliar location, especially without sharing trip details with multiple contacts, the risk multiplies. We have seen similar cases where individuals posing as patients lure victims to remote areas for abduction or ritual purposes.”
He advised that professionals in sensitive sectors like healthcare should use verified transport platforms with GPS tracking and must always share trip details with trusted relatives or friends.
As the search enters another week, Khadijat’s family is pleading with anyone who might have information about her whereabouts to contact the nearest police station or reach them directly. Joy said her family is “living in agony” and struggling with the uncertainty surrounding her sister’s fate.
“We just want to see her again,” Joy said tearfully. “Every day we check our phones, hoping for a message or a call. We’ve gone to churches, hospitals, and even mortuaries. Nothing yet. I’m begging Nigerians—if you’ve seen or heard anything, please help us bring her home.”
Authorities have begun analyzing Khadijat’s last known phone records, hoping to identify the person who contacted her for the job. Police cyber units are also working to trace the cab she boarded from Mile 2, though progress has been slow due to limited surveillance in the area.
Sources familiar with the investigation say the number that offered Khadijat the job is now unreachable, and the patient’s supposed address in Aiyetoro could not be verified.
An officer at the Ogun State Police Command said: “We have reason to believe that the caller who engaged her might have used a temporary or unregistered SIM card. This complicates tracking efforts, but we are collaborating with telecom providers to trace any digital footprints connected to that communication.”
The officer also confirmed that the case might be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a more comprehensive probe.
As the news of her disappearance spread online, Nigerians took to social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook to express concern and outrage. Many users tagged police authorities, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and advocacy groups like Stand To End Rape (STER) and Safe Space Africa, urging them to intervene.
A Twitter user, @Nurse_Ayomide, wrote: “This is every nurse’s nightmare. We leave home to save lives and end up becoming victims. The government must regulate private homecare engagements.”
Another user, @KogiGirl_, commented: “Please let’s amplify this story until Khadijat is found. Someone somewhere knows something.”
Healthcare advocacy pages have also begun circulating Khadijat’s picture and contact information, urging members of the public to report any credible sighting or lead.
Khadijat’s disappearance adds to a troubling list of missing persons—especially young women—across Nigeria in recent years. Many cases involve women who disappeared while seeking jobs, attending interviews, or visiting clients for home service engagements such as makeup, tailoring, or nursing.
Data from civic tech groups such as Missing Persons Nigeria indicates that more than 400 disappearance cases were reported between 2023 and 2025, with less than 35% resolved. Ogun and Lagos States rank among the top five states with the highest incidence.
Women’s rights groups have long argued that gender-targeted violence and poor investigative capacity continue to endanger women who work in informal or freelance sectors
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong commented on the issue, calling for an urgent policy intervention to protect workers in Nigeria’s informal healthcare sector. “This is no longer an isolated problem—it’s a systemic failure,” Effiong said. “Every time a nurse, makeup artist, or domestic aide disappears under mysterious circumstances, we see the same response: silence, inaction, and impunity. The state must act to regulate and monitor these service-based engagements.”
He recommended the establishment of a National Registry for Domestic and Homecare Workers, a system that would verify and track both clients and service providers before private engagements are approve
As of the latest update, Ovansa Khadijat remains missing. Neither her family nor the police have received any ransom demand or verified lead. Her disappearance has plunged her loved ones into emotional turmoil and reignited debates about Nigeria’s failing safety infrastructure for ordinary citizens.
For Joy and her family, hope remains fragile but alive. “Khadijat is not just my sister—she’s the heart of our family,” she said. “We believe she’s still out there, waiting to be found. We won’t stop until we bring her home.”
The police have urged anyone with useful information about Ovansa Khadijat’s whereabouts to contact the nearest station or call the Lagos or Ogun State emergency hotlines.
Until new leads emerge, the case of the missing nurse serves as a grim reminder of the hidden dangers faced by Nigerian women who step into unverified opportunities—hoping, like Khadijat did, that each new call is a step toward a better life.
