The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has dismissed a security officer accused of secretly helping one of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s wives gain access to him while he was in custody.
The officer, identified as Daniel Stephen, was reportedly shown the door after an internal investigation into how Aichatou Assabe El-Rufai allegedly bypassed the commission’s visitor clearance procedure to see her husband.
According to an exclusive report by TheCable, CCTV footage allegedly captured Stephen assisting Aichatou into the ICPC premises on July 5, 2026, through a route outside the commission’s approved visitor access system.
Stephen, who was attached to the ICPC’s internal security team, was subsequently questioned by an investigation panel and reportedly submitted a handwritten statement admitting his role.
In the statement, he allegedly acknowledged taking Aichatou into the facility through a back entrance, rather than allowing her to go through the normal security and visitor-registration process.
Reports said the officer drove her into the premises, escorted her upstairs to the area where El-Rufai was being held and facilitated the private meeting.
The visit reportedly lasted about 15 minutes, during which Aichatou allegedly handed her husband a document and discussed a court matter with him in Hausa.
Stephen reportedly admitted that he knew the procedure had not been followed, noting that visitors were expected to register at the gate and obtain clearance from the head of the security unit before entering restricted areas.
He allegedly accepted responsibility for the breach, stating in his handwritten account that he had violated commission procedure.
Officer’s trouble may run deeper
But the July 5 incident may not have been the only time Stephen allegedly helped El-Rufai’s visitors.
According to reports by TheCable, his statement also referred to an earlier occasion when he allegedly assisted Aichatou further into the facility while officials were still trying to verify her identity.
He was also said to have later helped a man who identified himself as El-Rufai’s blood brother gain entry through the same back route.
The revelations reportedly triggered a wider internal security review before the officer was dismissed.
El-Rufai’s detention
The controversy comes against the backdrop of El-Rufai’s prolonged legal battle with the anti-corruption agency.
The former Kaduna governor was taken into ICPC custody in February 2026 after spending time with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The ICPC subsequently obtained court orders authorising his continued detention while investigations proceeded.
The commission later filed criminal charges against him, including allegations relating to money laundering, conversion and possession of public property. El-Rufai pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In June, the ICPC announced an amended 11-count charge involving El-Rufai, former adviser Jimi Lawal and several companies over allegations linked to an N8.68 billion CCTV surveillance contract in Kaduna. The former governor denied the allegations by pleading not guilty.
The ICPC has repeatedly maintained that El-Rufai’s detention is backed by court orders and that it is conducting its investigation in accordance with due process.
The latest dismissal, however, has thrown the spotlight on the security arrangements surrounding the former governor and raised fresh questions about how restricted access to high-profile detainees is being managed.
