By Femi Osinusi
Jubilation filled the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Friday as conjoined twins Hassana and Husaina, who recently underwent a rare and complex separation surgery in Saudi Arabia, returned home to Nigeria.
The twins were warmly received by Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the Consular-General of Saudi Arabia in Kano, Mr. Khalil Al-Admawi. Their arrival marked the end of an extraordinary medical journey that captured the attention of Nigerians nationwide.
Hassana and Husaina were successfully separated in Riyadh during a marathon 14-hour operation at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital. The delicate procedure, described as one of the most challenging under the Saudi Siamese Twins Separation Programme, involved a 38-member team of surgeons and specialists across paediatric surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, urology, anaesthesia, and plastic surgery.
The Saudi Consular-General hailed the success of the operation as proof of the Kingdom’s commitment to humanitarian causes. He noted that the surgery was part of the broader efforts of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, which has overseen 65 successful conjoined twin separations over the past 35 years, helping 150 sets of twins from 25 different countries.
Governor Yusuf, who commended the Saudi authorities for their generosity, described the operation as a “humanitarian gesture and a demonstration of strong bilateral relations between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.” He pledged that the Kano State government would sponsor the twins’ follow-up medical check-up after a year and provide them with scholarships up to the university level.
For the family, the return of the twins marks not just a medical triumph but also a personal relief. “This is a big relief not only to the parents of the children but to Nigerians in general,” a relative of the twins said. “We thank the Saudi authorities for their kindness. Nigerians will not forget this gesture.”
The twins’ story has now become part of a global humanitarian programme that has given hope to families across continents, highlighting both the power of medical innovation and the importance of international cooperation.
