The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has dismissed a security officer accused of 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 custody.
The officer, identified as Daniel Stephen, was attached to the commission’s internal security team and was allegedly caught on CCTV assisting Mrs El-Rufai to enter the ICPC premises outside the approved visitor-access procedure.
According to reports, the incident occurred on 5 July 2026. Stephen allegedly drove Mrs El-Rufai into the commission’s premises through a rear entrance before escorting her to the section where the former governor was being held.
In a handwritten statement submitted to an investigation panel, Stephen reportedly admitted assisting Mrs El-Rufai to see her husband “through the back door” and acknowledged that his actions breached the commission’s established security procedures.
The commission’s visitor protocol requires individuals seeking access to the facility to have their details recorded at the gate and obtain clearance from the head of the security unit before entry.
Reports also indicate that Stephen told investigators he had previously assisted another individual, who claimed to be El-Rufai’s brother, to gain access to the facility through the same rear entrance.
The development comes amid an ongoing legal battle between El-Rufai and the ICPC over his detention and access to family members.
In August, the former governor filed a ₦10 billion lawsuit against the ICPC, alleging that the commission had denied his wife, Aichatou Assabe, and his son, Abba El-Rufai, access to him while in custody.
El-Rufai is currently facing corruption-related proceedings instituted by the ICPC. The commission has accused him and other defendants of offences including abuse of office, corruption and money laundering. El-Rufai and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The dismissal of the security officer underscores the commission’s enforcement of its internal security protocols as the high-profile case against the former governor continues.
