By Our Reporter
Professor Hadiza Abdullahi Usman, Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Nguru, Yobe State, is mourning the death of her twin daughters, Dr Hadiyah Usman Abdullahi, a medical doctor, and Aidah Usman Abdullahi, a pharmacist, who reportedly died days apart from complications associated with sickle cell disease.
Hadiyah died on Friday, October 2, 2026, after about a week of treatment at FMC Nguru for a sickle cell crisis. She was buried the same day following funeral prayers at the Emir’s Palace in Nguru.
Her twin sister, Aidah, reportedly died two days later, on Sunday, October 4, after receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
FMC Nguru confirmed Aidah’s death in a post on its Facebook page, describing her as the “second twin.”
The deaths have plunged Professor Usman and her family into mourning, while colleagues and members of the wider medical community have continued to offer condolences to the bereaved family.
Professor Usman became the fourth Medical Director of FMC Nguru in November 2022 and the first woman to occupy the position.
The deaths of the sisters have also renewed attention to the burden of sickle cell disease in Yobe State, which remains one of the states in Nigeria with a high prevalence of the condition.
The sisters’ deaths, occurring only two days apart, have particularly heightened concerns over the devastating complications that can arise from sickle cell disease, even among highly educated medical professionals and healthcare workers.