JEDDAH: Nigerian conjoined twins Hassana and Hussaina were on Thursday due to arrive in Saudi Arabia for a “delicate” separation procedure being carried out free of charge on the directives of King Salman.
Yahaya Lawal, Nigeria’s envoy to the Kingdom, said the monarch had sent a flying ambulance to transport the twins and their parents to Riyadh, where the surgery would take place.
The ambassador expressed his country’s gratitude to the king and told Arab News that the twins, born in hospital to a Nigerian couple, shared vital organs, including a liver.
“King Salman’s order to lend a generous hand to the family of the Siamese twins has delighted millions in Nigeria. The federal government through the presidency in Nigeria, on behalf of all Nigerians, has applauded this humanitarian gesture of the Kingdom.
“The government also expressed its sincere appreciation for this significant humane touch,” Lawal added.
The envoy also expressed his nation’s appreciation for the leading role taken by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in helping to make the trip possible.
He said: “We remain ever grateful to the Kingdom, and we hope the operation, which will be conducted in the next few days, God willing, will be a successful one.”
The plane carrying the twins and their parents was flying from the northern Nigerian city of Kano to Riyadh where Lawal noted the youngsters would undergo a “very delicate separation operation.”
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, general supervisor of the KSrelief, recently met Lawal in the Saudi capital to discuss aid and relief issues, and projects being run by the center in Nigeria.
During the meeting, the ambassador praised the humanitarian work being conducted by Saudi Arabia, via the center, throughout the world.
