Rear Admiral Suleiaman Saidu joined the Nigerian Navy in 1961 and had his basic training at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in the United Kingdom. He took active part in the Nigerian Civil War (1967 - 1970) during the landings and subsequent operations. He attended the Armament Supply and Inspection course at Bombay, India in 1971. He qualified as a Long Gunnery Officer at HMS Excellent in Britain in 1972.
Saidu was appointed military governor of Rivers State, Nigeria from July 1978 to October 1979 during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo, handing over power to the elected civilian governor Melford Obiene Okilo at the start of the Nigerian Second Republic.[1]
Rear Admiral Suleiman Saidu served as the Captain of NNS Aradu. Prior to taking over the command of the Aradu, He was Staff Officer 1 Administration at the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, from where he went to command the MK 9 corvette NNS ERIN-OMI before proceeding to the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, India in 1982.
Rear Admiral Suleiman Saidu also served as the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command (1992-1993) and Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command (1993).
Rear Admiral Suleiman Saidu was confirmed by General Sani Abacha as Chief of Naval Staff in September 1993.[2]
He was later replaced by Rear Admiral Allison Madueke for the sake of ethnic balancing.[3]
