TWIN sisters, Dr Hadiyah Usman and Dr Aidah Usman (PharmD), both aged 28, have died 48 hours apart in Yobe State, Daily Trust gathered.
News Point Nigeria gathered that the deceased sisters were children of Professor Hadiza Usman and Professor Usman Abdullahi. Hadiyah and Aidah were both born with sickle cell anaemia and had battled the condition for years.
Their mother, Professor Hadiza Abdullahi Usman, is the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Nguru, Yobe State, while their father, Professor Usman Abdullahi, is a senior consultant.
According to family sources, one of the twins, Hadiyah, fell ill following a sickle cell crisis and was admitted to FMC Nguru. She later succumbed to the crisis and died on Friday. Funeral prayers were held the same day at the Emir’s Palace in Nguru.
Our correspondent gathered that around the same period, her twin sister, Aidah, also suffered a crisis and was receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).
A family member who spoke to our correspondent said the development was not entirely unusual, as the twins had a long-standing pattern of falling ill simultaneously, even when they were apart and in different locations.
“In fact, the family was used to it. Anytime one of the twins took ill, the parents knew that the other would fall ill as well,” he said.
He said that after Aidah recovered and was discharged from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, she travelled to Nguru to join her grieving parents and mourn the death of her sister.
“On arrival, Aidah insisted that she would visit her sister’s grave to pay her respects. Her mother, a medical doctor, was not comfortable with it, but had to give in when she saw that the girl was determined to go to the site,” he said.
Also speaking to our correspondent was an uncle to the twins, Ibrahim Hasbunallah, who served as their guardian in Maiduguri.
Hasbunallah said he was fortunate to hold the twins on the day they were born, as their parents handed them over to him shortly after their birth.
“They were handed over to me at birth, and I used the same hands to put them in their graves—one on Friday and the other one on Sunday,” he recounted.
He said the sisters, both born with sickle cell anaemia, shared a bond that defied ordinary sibling relationships.
According to him, they kept strictly to themselves and had no friends.
“They were always indoors; they read together, ate together, played together and slept together. That was their routine,” he said.
Hasbunallah said that despite their health condition, the sisters excelled academically, gaining admission to study Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Maiduguri.
It was gathered that after graduation, they both worked at the Federal Medical Centre, Nguru.
“Sadly, both sisters fell ill simultaneously, one receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) and the other at FMC Nguru, while their mother was away in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Hasbunallah said the elder twin passed away before their mother could return, while the surviving twin died shortly after their mother returned.
“When the younger twin came in from Maiduguri, she refused to sleep throughout the night, insisting that she wanted to visit her sister’s grave,” he said.
Accompanied by her mother, husband, younger sister, who is now the family’s sole surviving child, and Hasbunallah, she visited the graveside.
“After we prayed, she refused to leave. Right from home, she told me that she must follow her sister. She said her sister cannot die and leave her. ‘What am I going to do here?’ she said,” Hasbunallah recalled.
He said Aidah later appeared weak and started shaking, prompting her husband and younger sister to rush to support her, but she fainted before they could steady her.
“She was rushed to the hospital at around 3:30 p.m., where she passed away in the Intensive Care Unit. She died shortly after the Asr prayer around 4:10 p.m,” the uncle narrated.
When Daily Trust reached out to their father, he only managed to confirm the incident, as he could barely speak.
Speaking in a calm tone, he asked for understanding and time, saying he would speak to our correspondent at a later date.
In an appreciation message issued after the burial, the mother, Professor Hadiza Usman, thanked relatives, friends, colleagues, professional associations, religious leaders, traditional rulers, government officials, staff of FMC Nguru and other well-wishers who had stood by the family.
“I am deeply touched by the overwhelming show of love, solidarity, prayers and support we have received,” she said.