Moving to Java, he was accepted at both the veterinary department of the University of Indonesia and the Indonesian Military Academy, and he enrolled in the latter.
He continued to rise up the army's ranks, with a brief stint as head of the artillery department at the Indonesian Military Academy, until he became the inspector of Kodam I/Bukit Barisan in 1991.
[1] In 1993, sitting governor of West Sumatra Hasan Basri Durin appointed Ibrahim to be his deputy to replace the retiring Sjoerkani.
[4] Ibrahim's tenure coincided with the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the fall of Suharto, with frequent student protests during his term.
However, Zainal Bakar, previously provincial secretary, was instead appointed by home affairs minister Syarwan Hamid.