September 12, (THEWILL) — The Nigerian conjoined twins, Hassana and Husaina, who recently underwent a successful separation surgery in Saudi Arabia, have returned home to a warm reception at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
The life-saving procedure was performed at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, under the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Hassana and Husaina were flown to Riyadh in October 2023, where they underwent months of comprehensive medical examinations. Doctors found they were joined at the lower abdomen, pelvis, and spine, sharing vital organs—making their case highly complex.
A team of 38 specialists, including experts in pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, urology, anaesthesia, and plastic surgery—carried out the operation.
Conducted in nine stages, the delicate procedure lasted about 14 hours and required precise coordination to separate and reconstruct the twins’ systems.
The success was hailed as one of the most challenging yet rewarding achievements of the Saudi Siamese Twins Separation Program, which has performed 65 successful surgeries on 150 sets of conjoined twins from 25 countries over the past 35 years.
The Consul General of Saudi Arabia in Kano, Khalil Ahmed Al-Admawi, who was at the airport to receive the family, described the operation as a demonstration of the Kingdom’s commitment to humanitarian service.
He said Saudi Arabia would continue to extend medical aid and goodwill to Nigeria and other nations through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.
Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, who also received the twins, pledged that his administration would provide them with adequate healthcare.
He also promised them full scholarships up to university level and urged future governments to continue supporting the family.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
