THE death of twin daughters of the Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Nguru, Yobe State, Hadiza Abdullahi Usman, has left the family mourning after the siblings died less than 48 hours apart.
According to the family, the sisters, identified as Hadiyah Usman Abdullahi and Aidah Usman Abdullahi, were both 28 years old. Hadiyah died on Friday, October 2, while Aidah followed two days later, on Sunday, October 4.
Hadiyah was a medical doctor undergoing her internship at FMC Nguru, where her mother serves as the Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer, while Aidah was a pharmacist affiliated with the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).
According to the family, the sisters had reportedly been living with sickle cell anaemia and were receiving treatment for complications associated with the condition at two different hospitals.
Hadiyah had reportedly been admitted at FMC Nguru for about a week while receiving treatment for a sickle-cell crisis, her twin sister, Aidah, was also being treated at UMTH in Maiduguri.
Hadiyah died on Friday, October 2, and her funeral prayer was held the same day at the Emir’s Palace in Nguru, after which she was buried in accordance with Islamic rites.
According to their uncle, Ibrahim Hasbunallah, the sisters had a close bond throughout their lives, noting that Aidah had recovered sufficiently to be discharged from UMTH on Sunday and travelled to Nguru to join the family after her sister’s burial.
He said that she insisted on visiting Hadiyah’s grave and she went to the graveside with her mother, husband, younger sister and uncle.
The uncle said Aidah became emotional while at the grave and questioned why her twin had died and left her behind. She later became weak and began shaking while her husband and younger sister tried to support her before she fainted.
He explained that she was taken to hospital at about 3:30 p.m. and was subsequently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, noting that Aidah died at about 4:10 p.m., shortly after the Asr prayer.
For relatives who knew the sisters from childhood, the circumstances surrounding their deaths were especially painful because of the closeness they shared throughout their lives.
Their uncle described them as inseparable, saying they read, ate, played and slept together, noting that the twins also tended to fall ill around the same periods, even when they were in different locations.
The family explained that both women excelled academically despite living with sickle cell anaemia, as they went on to study healthcare-related disciplines at the University of Maiduguri, with Hadiyah becoming a medical doctor and Aidah pursuing pharmacy.
Their deaths have also drawn attention to the family they came from, revealing that their mother, Hadiza Abdullahi Usman, is a professor of Gynaecological Oncology and Reproductive Health and the Medical Director/CEO of FMC Nguru.
She became the first female Medical Director of the hospital after her appointment in November 2022.
She is also described by FMC Nguru as the first female Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist produced by the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Their father, Usman Abdullahi, a professor, is also a senior medical consultant.
The deaths have generated condolences among healthcare professionals in Yobe and Borno as colleagues and friends continue to describe the sisters as hardworking and dedicated professionals whose careers were still in their early stages.
A colleague and preventive-health advocate, Fatima Kagu, Shehu Sani, a former senator, and FMC Nguru are among those who publicly expressed grief over the deaths and described it as a very painful development.
A family member, Ibrahim Auwal, described the sisters as hardworking young professionals with promising futures.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.