Professor Hadiza Abdullahi Usman, Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Nguru, Yobe State, has been plunged into deep mourning following the death of her twin daughters, Dr Hadiyah Usman Abdullahi and Pharm. Aidah Usman Abdullahi, within two days of each other.Both sisters, who distinguished themselves in the healthcare profession as a medical doctor and pharmacist respectively, reportedly died following complications associated with sickle cell disease, leaving their mother and the entire FMC Nguru community devastated by the double tragedy.
Hadiyah, a medical doctor, died on Friday after spending about a week at FMC Nguru, where she was receiving treatment following a sickle cell crisis.
Her twin sister, Aidah, a pharmacist, was also undergoing treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital around the same period. She reportedly recovered sufficiently to be discharged from the facility.
Tragedy, however, struck again two days later.
After attending Hadiyah’s burial, Aidah reportedly visited her twin sister’s grave. She was said to have suddenly fainted shortly after the visit and was rushed to a hospital for medical attention, but she subsequently died.
FMC Nguru confirmed Aidah’s death in a message shared on its official Facebook page, describing her poignantly as “the second twin” of Professor Usman.
The development came shortly after the medical centre announced the burial arrangements for Hadiyah, identified as the daughter of its Medical Director. Funeral prayers were scheduled for 5:30pm at the Emir’s Palace on Friday, October 2.
The deaths have generated deep sympathy within medical and professional circles, particularly because both sisters had followed careers dedicated to healthcare and service to humanity.
Professor Usman became the fourth Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer of FMC Nguru in November 2022, making history as the first woman to occupy the position since the establishment of the institution.
Her personal loss has also resonated strongly within the medical community, where colleagues, professional associations, government officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders and members of the public have rallied around the bereaved family.
In an appreciation message following Hadiyah’s burial, Professor Usman expressed gratitude to relatives, friends, colleagues, professional bodies, religious leaders, traditional rulers, government officials, FMC Nguru staff and other well-wishers for their support and presence during the difficult period.
The deaths of the twins within such a short interval have cast a sombre shadow over FMC Nguru, with the medical community mourning not only the loss of two young healthcare professionals but also the painful bereavement suffered by their mother, who has had to bury one daughter and mourn the other almost immediately.
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