At 11, Dadasare Abdullahi was abducted on the orders of a British colonial officer, despite her family’s attempts to secure her release. Exploited as a sex slave for three years, the officer would later abandon her after the end of his service in Nigeria. Abdullahi returned to her family, but her child died of malaria during the journey home.

Restless in another union—an arranged marriage by her family—she moved to Zaria in 1933 at the invitation of British educationist Dr Rupert East. There, she learned English and Hausa, engaged with intellectual circles, and built a career in journalism. At Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo—the world's first Hausa-language newspaper—she championed women’s issues and helped launch Jakadiyya, a newspaper for women.

During World War II, she volunteered as a nurse before training formally in England. She later served as a matron in Zaria and advanced adult education in Northern Nigeria. In 1970, she was among the first women awarded the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).