Kano State governor Abba Yusuf on Friday received Nigerian conjoined twins, Hassana and Hussaina, who returned to the country after undergoing separation surgery in Saudi Arabia.
The twins arrived at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport with their family.
They were received by government officials, community members and representatives of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The surgery was carried out at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh on the directive of Salman Al-Saud and Mohammed Salman.
Hassana and Hussaina were flown to Saudi Arabia in October 2023, where a team of 38 specialists performed the procedure.
The operation lasted about 14 hours and was completed in nine stages.
Doctors confirmed that the twins were joined at the lower abdomen, pelvis and spine, sharing vital structures.
The team that carried out the surgery included experts in pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, urology, anaesthesia and plastic surgery.
Speaking at the airport, governor Yusuf thanked the Saudi authorities for sponsoring the surgery.
He also pledged that the Kano State Government would take responsibility for the girls’ welfare, including their education up to the university level.
The consular general of Saudi Arabia in Kano, Khalil Al-Admawi, said the surgery was part of the Kingdom’s humanitarian service.
He noted that the separation of Hassana and Hussaina marked the 65th operation under the Saudi Siamese Twins Separation Program, which has cared for 150 sets of conjoined twins from 25 countries over the past 35 years.
A relative of the twins thanked Saudi authorities and said the family would not forget the support received.
