He completed the Aircraft Technical Officer's Course in West Germany, and studied at the Royal Military Training Centre in Chichester, England.

As a Group Captain he was appointed Military Governor of Gongola State in December 1989 by General Ibrahim Babangida.

[2] The Adamawa State Polytechnic was established in 1991 while he was in office through a merger of the College of Preliminary Studies Yola and the Staff Development Institute Numan.

[3] Salihu later served under General I. D. Gumel as Air Force's Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lagos.

In December 2009, he was among northern leaders resisting the transfer of power to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan during the incapacity of President Umaru Yar'Adua.