For over 50 years, the Abdullahi family in Kaduna, Nigeria, has been quietly dedicating their lives to maintaining the Tudun Wada Cemetery, one of the city’s largest burial grounds. Their service, which involved digging graves, washing corpses, and overseeing burials, was done without formal pay until recently.
The family’s involvement began in the 1970s when brothers Ibrahim and Adamu Abdullahi took up the task. Today, their sons Magaji, Abdullahi, and Aliyu carry forward this legacy, driven by the belief instilled by their fathers that serving the dead is a divine calling.
“Our fathers taught us that God loves this service and will reward us even if we gain nothing in this world,” Magaji Abdullahi, the eldest of the custodians, said. Despite the lack of financial reward, the Abdullahi family remained committed, receiving only occasional donations from mourners.
The work is grueling. Graves, often a dozen per day, are dug in the scorching Kaduna heat, sometimes in rocky soil. Muslim traditions dictate that burials occur within hours of death, requiring the team to be on call 24/7. The trio rotates responsibilities, from preparing corpses to digging graves and coordinating funerals.
Beyond their routine duties, the family has faced extraordinary challenges. During periods of religious violence in Kaduna, they worked tirelessly to retrieve and bury bodies, a memory that strengthened their resolve to continue this vital service.
Their work also involves safeguarding the cemetery. With limited resources, they have struggled to maintain the site, fend off grave robbers, and repair damaged fences. Despite these challenges, the Abdullahi family’s knowledge of every burial spot ensures they can guide mourners to their loved ones’ graves.
The situation took a positive turn recently when Rayyan Hussain, the new local council chairman, recognized their efforts and placed them on the payroll. While their monthly salaries—ranging from $13 to $28—are below Nigeria’s minimum wage, it marks the first time their work has been formally acknowledged.
Plans are also underway to improve the cemetery’s facilities, including repairs to the fencing, installation of solar lighting, and the construction of a preparation room for washing corpses.
For the Abdullahi family, this support is a glimmer of hope. Magaji, a father of 23, hopes the improvements will inspire his children to continue the family’s legacy. “This is sacred work,” he says. “We are grateful it’s being recognized at last.”
