Hajara began her career as a non-commissioned officer in 1986. She rose to become the first Hausa Muslim woman from a core Northern state to reach the rank of Wing Commander, equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel in the Army.
Hajara, a daughter of late Marafan Birnin Kudu, Colonel Bashari Umaru, from Birnin Kudu in Jigawa State, is currently the Chief Matron of Armed Forces Medical Hospital, Kano. She has been to war in Congo, served at Ibadan, Kaduna, among other places within the country.