The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has dismissed a security officer, 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 him while he was in the commission’s custody.
Stephen, who was attached to the ICPC’s internal security team, was reportedly captured on CCTV assisting Assabe to enter the commission’s premises on July 5, 2026, without following the approved visitor access procedure.
According to The Cable, Stephen admitted his involvement in a handwritten statement submitted to an investigative panel, acknowledging that he helped El-Rufai’s wife access her husband “through the back door.”
He reportedly drove Assabe into the premises, took her through a rear entrance and escorted her upstairs to the section where El-Rufai was being held.
An ICPC officer quoted by the publication said Stephen’s account indicated that he switched off the light at one point before they entered the room where El-Rufai was being detained.
According to the account, Assabe handed her husband a document, picked up a black purse and discussed a court matter with him in Hausa. The meeting reportedly lasted about 15 minutes before Stephen escorted her out through the same entrance and drove her away from the premises.
Stephen reportedly told the panel that he was aware the visit violated established security procedures.
He explained that visitors to the commission were required to have their details documented at the gate and obtain clearance from the head of the security unit before gaining access to the facility.
The officer also acknowledged that his conduct amounted to a breach of the commission’s rules.
“I agree that I am wrong and breached commission procedure,” he reportedly wrote, adding that he made the statement voluntarily and without coercion or duress.
ICPC insiders were also quoted as claiming that Stephen’s statement suggested his involvement with Assabe may have extended beyond the July 5 incident.
He allegedly recounted an earlier occasion when he helped escort her further into the facility while officials were still verifying her identity. He also reportedly said he later assisted a man who identified himself as El-Rufai’s biological brother to gain access through the back entrance.
El-Rufai has reportedly been in ICPC custody since February 19, following his release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He is facing allegations bordering on money laundering and conversion of public property, charges he has denied.
