The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Saudi Monarch, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, have been commended by the family of conjoined twins - Hassana and Hasina  for their support leading to the separation of their babies.

The Siamese twins were successively separated by a team of medics comprising 35 consultants, specialists, nursing and technical personnel at King Abdullah Specialist Hospital.

The 14- hour successful operation took place on May 18 under the humanitarian auspices for Children of the Saudi Monarch at King Abdulaziz Medical City of the National Guard in Riyadh.

The conjoined twins were born in Kaduna, Nigeria on Jan. 12, 2022, and they shared the abdomen, pelvis, liver, intestines, urinary and reproductive system, and pelvic bones.

An uncle of the separated twins, Mr Aliyu Abdulmalik, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that the surgery was God’s handiwork.

He thanked the Nigerian Government for the technical support and also the Saudi Monarch for the financial support.

“We thank King Salman and the Prince for catering for us from the day we arrived Saudi Arabia.

“We were given first class treatment from December 8 that we arrived till the day of the operation, this operation is supposed to cost N36 million but it was done free,” he said.

Abdulmalik  commended the Saudi programme for the separation of Siamese twins for their expertise in the surgery.

He said that they had supervised 130 cases from 23 countries over 33 years and separated 55 cases, making Hassana and Hasina, the 56th case.

Recall that AbujaCityJournal reported an appeal by UK-based Publisher of Newissues magazine, Mr. George Onmonya Daniel seeking the intervention of Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State to assist the joined twins.

Daniel said the twins were initially kept at the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Teaching Hospital in Zaria for about 8 months before Nuhu Kwajafa-led Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care, GIPLC, stepped.

Kwajafa's intervention was targeted at mobilizing funds for the children to receive best treatment. 

“I want to appeal to you (Governor Nasir el-Rufai) to help Hassana and Hussaina, the conjoined twin from Kaduna State. They were born triplets, but the two are joined from the stomach.