The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has dismissed a security officer, identified as Daniel Stephen, for allegedly helping Aichatou Assabe El-Rufai, one of the wives of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, gain unauthorised access to her husband while he was in the commission’s custody.
According to reports, Stephen was attached to the ICPC’s internal security team and was allegedly captured on CCTV assisting Aichatou to enter the commission’s premises on July 5, 2026, outside the approved visitor-access procedure.
The security officer reportedly admitted his involvement in a handwritten statement submitted to an internal investigation panel. In the statement, he acknowledged that he helped El-Rufai’s wife enter the facility through a back entrance.
According to the report, Stephen drove Aichatou into the ICPC premises and escorted her to the section where the former governor was being held.
The visit reportedly lasted about 15 minutes. During the visit, Aichatou allegedly handed a document to her husband and spoke with him about a court matter before leaving the facility through the same route.
The officer reportedly admitted to investigators that he knew the visit did not comply with the commission’s established security procedures.
He explained that visitors to the ICPC premises were expected to have their details recorded at the gate and obtain clearance from the appropriate security authority before gaining access to restricted areas.
Stephen was quoted as acknowledging that his actions constituted a breach of the commission’s procedures. He reportedly stated that he had acted voluntarily and without coercion.
The internal investigation allegedly examined whether the officer had previously facilitated similar unauthorised access.
According to reports, Stephen also told the panel about an earlier incident involving Aichatou, during which he allegedly assisted her while officials were still verifying her identity.
He reportedly claimed that, following the incident, a man who identified himself as El-Rufai’s blood brother approached him and requested assistance in gaining access to the facility.
The officer allegedly agreed and subsequently helped the man enter the premises through the back entrance.
The revelations reportedly contributed to disciplinary action against Stephen, with the ICPC dismissing him over the alleged violations of its security and visitor-access procedures.
The development comes amid the continued detention and legal proceedings involving Nasir El-Rufai. The former Kaduna governor has been in ICPC custody since February 19, 2026, after being released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He is facing allegations relating to money laundering and conversion of public property, allegations which he has denied.
The reported dismissal of the security officer does not, by itself, establish any wrongdoing by El-Rufai or his wife. The disciplinary action relates to the officer’s alleged breach of the commission’s internal security procedures.
The incident has also raised questions about security protocols surrounding the detention of high-profile suspects and the importance of enforcing visitor-access rules within law-enforcement facilities.
