Nigerian Family's 50-Year Devotion to Cemetery Services Finally Recognized

Mon Oct 20 2025 06:16:19 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A generational commitment to caring for Kaduna's Tudun Wada Cemetery is now receiving formal support after decades of volunteer work.

For over 50 years, the Abdullahi family has tirelessly served as grave-diggers and caretakers at Kaduna's Tudun Wada Cemetery, fulfilling a crucial role in their community while managing daily challenges from religious tensions and inadequate resources. Recently, the local council chairman has taken steps to provide formal salaries to the family members who have long worked without pay, acknowledging their dedication to this essential service.

For more than half a century, the Abdullahi family has dedicated themselves to maintaining Kaduna's expansive Tudun Wada Cemetery, a sacred space designated for Muslim residents. Beginning their journey in the 1970s, the family took on the daunting role of grave-diggers and caretakers, often working long hours under the sweltering sun without consistent pay—receiving only small donations from mourners to sustain their efforts. This tradition was instilled in them by Ibrahim and Adamu Abdullahi, two brothers who laid the foundation for their family's commitment to the cemetery.

Ibrahim's son, Magaji, now leads the cemetery operations, overseeing a small team of staff, composed primarily of his cousins Abdullahi and Aliyu. Despite the physical toll of their labor—digging graves to precise measurements, tending to the deceased, and preparing for rapid burials—Magaji remains resolute, attributing their work to divine reward rather than financial gain. Of particular note is the urgency for burials under Islamic customs, requiring preparation within hours of death, further intensifying daily pressures.

In addition to the physical demands, the Abdullahi family has faced emotional challenges, particularly during periods of sectarian violence that have marred Kaduna's history. Their experience during the tumultuous early 1990s, when they helped transport victims of religious clashes for burial, strengthened their determination to continue their vital work amidst adversity.

Although financial compensation was a dream yet achieved for many years, the recent intervention by local council chairman Rayyan Hussain has changed the landscape for the family. After acknowledging their hard work, he has begun allotting monthly salaries, albeit small ones, to the cemetery caretakers. Magaji shares that the remuneration—43,000 naira (about $28) for the eldest, and 20,000 naira (around $13) for the others—is below the national minimum wage, but it offers a glimmer of hope for future improvements.

Hussain envisions investments to enhance cemetery operations, allowing for more secure and organized management of this significant space. As the Abdullahi family looks to the future, they remain committed to serving their community, hoping one of their children may eventually take up the mantle and continue the legacy of dedicated service to the Tudun Wada Cemetery.