In a story that has left many residents of Kano State reeling in shock and sorrow, a 32-year-old woman who successfully delivered quintuplets has tragically passed away just hours after giving birth.
Mrs. Zainab Yusuf, a resident of Kumbotso Local Government Area, was rushed to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital on Tuesday evening after experiencing severe labour pains. Doctors performed an emergency caesarean section, and to the amazement of the medical team, she delivered five healthy babies – three boys and two girls.
Eyewitnesses at the hospital described the delivery room as a mixture of joy and tension, with nurses and doctors working round the clock to ensure the safety of both mother and children. The quintuplets, who weighed between 1.2kg and 1.8kg each, were immediately placed in incubators at the hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit.
But what should have been a moment of celebration quickly turned into a nightmare. Sources at the hospital confirmed that Zainab began bleeding heavily shortly after the surgery. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, she slipped away in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
A senior doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told ReportNaija: “This is one of the rarest cases we have seen. Quintuplets are extremely uncommon, and the strain on the mother’s body is enormous. We did everything possible, but complications set in too fast.”
Her husband, Malam Ibrahim Yusuf, a commercial motorcyclist and father of two from a previous marriage, was inconsolable when our correspondent reached him at the hospital.
“I don’t know what to say. We prayed for children for years. Now Allah has given us five at once, but He has taken my wife. How will I take care of them? I am begging the government and kind Nigerians to help me. The babies are still in the hospital and I have nothing,” he said, fighting back tears.
Family members who gathered at the hospital described Zainab as a kind and hardworking woman who sold vegetables at the local market to support her family. Her mother, Hajiya Aisha, could barely speak as she wept outside the ward.
“She was strong throughout the pregnancy, even when doctors warned her it was risky. She kept saying she wanted all her babies to survive. Now she is gone,” Hajiya Aisha lamented.
The Kano State Ministry of Health has confirmed the incident and says the five newborns are currently stable but will require intensive care for several weeks. The state government has pledged to cover the medical bills for the babies and provide some support to the family, though details are still being worked out.
Quintuplet births are exceptionally rare in Nigeria, occurring naturally in roughly one in several million pregnancies. Medical experts say multiple births of this nature often come with high risks for the mother, especially in cases where prenatal care is limited.
As news of Zainab’s death spread across Kano, many took to social media to express their condolences and call for better maternal healthcare in the state.
“May Allah grant her Aljannah and give the family strength,” one resident posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The bodies of the quintuplets’ mother have been released to the family for burial according to Islamic rites, which took place this afternoon at her hometown in Kumbotso.
ReportNaija will continue to follow this story and provide updates on the condition of the five newborns. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Yusuf family during this incredibly difficult time.
*If you wish to support the family, contact the Kano State Ministry of Health or reach out through our platform for verified donation details.*