By George Ozalla
A security officer attached to the internal security team of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Daniel Stephen, has been dismissed after allegedly allowing Aichatou Assabe El-Rufai, wife of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to gain unauthorised access to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja and meet her husband in custody.
Stephen was dismissed after an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the visit found that he had breached established security procedures governing access to persons held by the commission.
The incident was uncovered through the commission’s closed-circuit television cameras, which reportedly showed Stephen driving Mrs El-Rufai into the ICPC premises before taking her through a back entrance. He then escorted her upstairs to the section where the former governor was being held.
The officer admitted the breach in a handwritten statement submitted to an internal investigation panel. He reportedly acknowledged that he failed to record Mrs El-Rufai’s details at the gate and did not obtain the required approval from the head of security before allowing her into the facility.
Stephen also disclosed that he briefly switched off the lights along the hallway while the visit was taking place.
According to his statement, the visit lasted about 15 minutes. During that period, Mrs El-Rufai met with her husband in the area where he was being detained.
Stephen told the panel that Mrs El-Rufai handed a document to the former governor during the meeting and later picked up a black purse. He also said the couple discussed a legal matter in Hausa before he escorted her out of the premises.
The investigation reportedly uncovered further information about the officer’s dealings with people associated with the former governor.
Stephen was said to have disclosed that he had previously assisted persons linked to El-Rufai to enter the commission’s premises through the back entrance. Among them was a relative who reportedly identified himself as the former governor’s blood brother.
The disclosure prompted investigators to examine whether the officer had previously bypassed the commission’s access procedures to facilitate visits to El-Rufai.
Under the normal security arrangement, visitors seeking access to persons in custody are expected to provide their details at the gate and undergo the required clearance before proceeding to restricted areas. Approval from designated security officials is also required before access is granted.
In Mrs El-Rufai’s case, however, the procedure was reportedly bypassed, with the officer taking her through a back entrance and personally escorting her to the section where her husband was being held.
The CCTV footage provided investigators with a record of the movement, while Stephen’s handwritten statement provided an account of his role in facilitating the visit.
Following the investigation and the findings of the panel, the ICPC terminated Stephen’s employment.
The dismissal comes as El-Rufai continues to face legal proceedings arising from allegations being investigated by the anti-corruption commission. The former governor was transferred to ICPC custody in February 2026 over allegations relating to money laundering.
El-Rufai has denied wrongdoing, while the case remains subject to legal proceedings.
The circumstances of the visit have drawn attention to how Mrs El-Rufai was able to reach the restricted section of the ICPC facility without the required clearance and the role played by the security officer in facilitating her access.
The officer’s admission that he failed to record the visit at the gate, did not obtain approval from the head of security and used a back entrance has now formed part of the circumstances that led to the termination of his employment.
