Advertisements
It was meant to be a day of unprecedented joy for the Nafiu family in Kano, but tragedy struck in the early hours of Thursday, turning celebration into inconsolable grief.
Hafsat Yusuf, the mother who made headlines after delivering a set of quintuplets—three boys and two girls—at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, has passed away just hours after the birth.
Her husband, Salisu Nafiu, a humble tricycle rider known locally as a Keke NAPEP driver, confirmed the heartbreaking news.
Advertisements
Fighting back tears, he revealed that his wife died at approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday, only about 11 hours after she successfully delivered the babies via Caesarean section on Wednesday afternoon.
Also Read: BREAKING: APC Rejects Fubara’s Bid to Stop National Convention
Advertisements
“She delivered the babies successfully in the afternoon, but we lost her in the early hours of today,” a distraught Nafiu told our correspondent. “It is a painful loss for our family.”
The loss is made even more profound by the circumstances. Nafiu explained that this was his wife’s ninth delivery, a journey that had already seen her give birth to twins previously.
The arrival of the quintuplets was seen as a miracle, but the emotional and physical toll on the 37-year-old mother proved too much.
“The babies are stable and receiving proper care from the doctors,” Nafiu added, clutching onto the small silver lining amid the tragedy.
Medical sources at the facility confirmed that the five newborns remain alive and are being kept under close observation in the intensive care unit.
A senior medical staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that the infants are receiving specialized attention to ensure their survival and healthy development, given the complications that often accompany multiple births.
The Kano State Ministry of Health had earlier announced that the state government would take full responsibility for the medical care of the quintuplets.
In a statement released following the news of the mother’s death, the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to the children, noting that the government is dedicated to strengthening maternal and child health systems to reduce mortality rates across the state.
Residents of Kano have been thrown into a state of mixed emotions, describing the incident as a classic tale of “joy and sorrow.” Many have taken to social media and gathered at the hospital premises to offer prayers for the father, who now faces the daunting task of raising five newborns alone while mourning the loss of his wife.
“This is too painful. One day we were celebrating the blessing of five children, the next we are burying the mother. Only Allah knows best,” said a neighbor, Malam Bello, who accompanied Mr. Nafiu to the hospital.
As the family prepares to bury Hafsat according to Islamic rites, the community has begun rallying around the grieving father, appealing to the state government and well-meaning Nigerians to extend their support to ensure the survival and welfare of the orphaned quintuplets.
