Abdullahi, originally from Somalia, sought asylum in Sweden in 1992 and spent many years working at Radio Sweden's Somali language department. In 2009, she gained prominence for exposing how al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based extremist group, was recruiting young people from the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby. Her groundbreaking investigation revealed that a youth leader at a local center was directly involved in recruiting for the militant group. Abdullahi's report aired on Ekot, Sweden's leading news program, and sparked national controversy.

Abdullahi's exposé led to backlash within her community. Many accused her of betraying Muslims and Somalis in Sweden, with some calling her a traitor. She faced threats and was ostracized by her community, accused of selling out to Swedish journalists and contributing to negative portrayals of Islam. After the intense backlash, Abdullahi left Sweden and returned to Somalia over a decade ago. There, she focused on community development, running projects to empower women and establishing a farm to promote local agriculture. Despite the danger, she remained committed to contributing to her homeland's growth and recovery.