Major General Abdulsalam Enesi Abubakar was born on 6 October 1972 in Kaduna State to the family of Alhaji and Hajiya Ismaila Abubakar. He attended primary School and secondary education in Ilorin, Kwara State. He subsequently proceeded to the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy on 17 August 1990 as a member of the 42nd Regular Combatant Course and was commissioned on 16 September 1995 into the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps. The Senior Officer has attended several military courses during his military career, few among which includes United Nations Training Assistance Team Course, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Course in Darfur, Negotiation and Mediation Course in Ghana, Senior Staff Course at the prestigious AFCSC Jaji. Others are Army Battalion Course in Nanjing China, Harvard Executive Course, as well as the Strategic Communication Course at the Partnership for Peace Training Centre at Ankara, Turkey.
Major General Abubakar has held several Command, Staff and Instructional appointments few amongst which are Logistics Officer at the Force Headquarters, African Union Mission in Darfur and Assistant Director Courses, Assistant Director Training all at the Army Headquarters, Abuja. He was a Member of Directing Staff at the prestigious Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji and National Defence College Abuja. He was also a Military Assistant to the Chief of Defence Staff, Armed Forces of Liberia, Senior ECOWAS Military Adviser to the Armed Forces of Liberia. Commanding Officer, 242 Battalion Monguno, Commander 22 Armoured Brigade Ilorin, Commander Sector 3 Operation HADIN KAI and Multinational Joint Task Force located in Monguno as well as General Officer Commanding 7 Division and Commander Sector 1 Operation HADIN KAI.
General Abdulsalam has earned some medals, awards and decorations to his name in the course of his military career, some of these include Operation HARMONY Medal, ECOMOG Medal, United Nations Medal, General Operations Medal and African Union Medal. Others are Operation LAFIYA DOLE Medal, AMNI FAKAT Medal, Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award, Field Command Medal, Field Command Medal of Honour, Distinguished Service Star and Foreign Training Assistance Medal as well as the Nigerian Army Outstanding Operation Command Medal. The General is also a proud recipient of the Liberian National Award, Distinguished Service Order (DSO) from Her Excellency, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia for his Meritorious Services rendered to Liberia for a period of 4 years. Prior to his current appointment, Major General Abubakar was the General Officer Commanding 3 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN with its headquarters located in Jos.
The senior officer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Masters in International Relations and Defence Studies while the Doctorate Degree at the University of Ibadan is currently ongoing. He is also a Certified Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (MNIM) and a fellow Chartered Administration Institute. At his leisure, the senior officer enjoys playing Lawn tennis, scrabble and reading espionage write-ups. He is happily married, and the union is blessed with cheerful children.