General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar was born on 13 June 1942 in Minna, Niger Started. He stated his cadet training on 3 October 1963 and served with the Nigerian Air Force until 1967. He later joined the Nigerian Army and was commissioned on 20 October 1967. He attended the Airborne Course in the USA, Command and Staff College, USA, Senior Officer’s Defence Management Course, USA and the Senior Executive Course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru. While in service, he led the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and commanded both 1 Mechanized and 82 Division.