Twin sisters, a medical doctor and a pharmacist, have died two days apart from complications linked to sickle cell disease in Yobe State.
The deceased are Dr. Hadiyah Usman Abdullahi and Pharm. Aidah Usman Abdullahi, daughters of Prof. Hadiza Abdullahi Usman, Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Nguru.
Dr. Hadiyah, an intern in the Department of Haematology at FMC Nguru, died on Friday, October 2, 2026, after about a week on admission following a sickle cell crisis.
Her twin sister, Aidah, a pharmacist at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), was also hospitalized for similar complications at the same time.
Iconic news gathered that Aidah was discharged after her condition improved to attend her sister’s burial. She reportedly collapsed shortly after visiting her sister’s grave and was rushed to the hospital, where she died on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
A family member, Ibrahim Auwal, who confirmed the incident on Monday, described the deaths as devastating to the family.
The sisters have been buried according to Islamic rites in Nguru.
With the current development, the medical community has been thrown into mourning, with renewed calls for increased awareness on sickle cell disease and the importance of genotype compatibility before marriage