Hadiya Usman and Aidah Usman

Hadiya Usman and Aidah Usman were Nigerian twin sisters from Yobe State who both pursued careers in healthcare, one as a medical doctor and the other as a pharmacist, and who died within days of each other in early October 2026 after separate battles with complications of sickle cell disease. Their deaths, coming so close together, were described by their family as a painful double tragedy that has left their mother, colleagues and the wider medical community in Yobe State in mourning.

Hadiya Usman, known by the nickname Hassana, was completing her medical internship at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Nguru, Yobe State. Her twin sister, Aidah Usman, known as Usaina, had trained as a pharmacist and was working at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). The sisters came from a family deeply rooted in medicine: their mother is Hadiza Usman, a former Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, Yobe State, and news of the twins' deaths spread quickly in Nigerian medical circles in part because of that connection.

Both sisters had sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that causes periodic, sometimes severe, pain crises. According to reports, Hadiya had been admitted to FMC Nguru for about a week after suffering a sickle cell crisis before she died on Friday. Her twin, Aidah, was also undergoing treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital during the same period. Although she reportedly improved and was discharged, she later died on Sunday. Several Nigerian outlets reported that the sisters died on Friday, October 2, and Sunday, October 4, 2026, respectively, after reportedly battling complications associated with sickle cell disease.

The deaths were confirmed publicly by a family member, Ibrahim Auwal, who spoke to reporters on Monday 5 October 2026. "It is a very painful development. Hadiyah passed away on Friday, and Aidah followed on Sunday," he said, adding that both sisters had been battling sickle cell disease, and their deaths were a great loss, particularly to their family, friends and colleagues. A microbiologist named Fatima Kagu also announced the deaths on October 4, 2026, sharing the news publicly as condolences began to pour in for the bereaved family.

The news has prompted an outpouring of grief and prayers across Nigeria's medical community, particularly because the deaths came within three days of each other, leaving their family, colleagues and friends mourning the loss of two young healthcare professionals. Tributes have focused on the sisters' dedication to their work and on the pain suffered by their mother, who leads FMC Nguru and lost both of her twin daughters within a matter of days. As of this writing, no funeral or memorial details have been made public beyond confirmation of the deaths, and further information about the precise circumstances is expected to emerge as family and hospital officials respond to inquiries.