The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has terminated the employment of an internal security officer, Daniel Stephen, following an investigation that revealed he granted unauthorised access to Aichatou Assabe El-Rufai, wife of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, while the former governor was held in custody.
Stephen was exposed by internal Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage after sneaking Mrs. El-Rufai into the commission’s premises in Abuja on July 5, 2026, bypassing mandatory security clearance and visitor registration protocols.
According to internal investigative documents reviewed by The Cable, Stephen drove Mrs. El-Rufai onto the property, escorted her through a rear entry point, and took her upstairs to the secure detention area. Before entering the room, the officer reportedly switched off the lights to avoid detection during the 15-minute rendezvous.
An ICPC source revealed that during the unapproved encounter, "Mrs. El-Rufai handed her husband a document, picked up a black purse and spoke with him in Hausa about a court matter" before Stephen drove her out through the same back entrance.
Following a formal disciplinary review, Stephen submitted a handwritten confession acknowledging full responsibility for the grave security violation. "I agree that I am wrong and breached commission procedure," Stephen wrote in his statement to the investigation panel, affirming that his confession was made voluntarily.
Investigative findings further indicated that Stephen’s actions were not an isolated event. Sources disclosed that the officer had previously escorted Mrs. El-Rufai into the facility while her identity was being verified, and later facilitated a similar unauthorised entry for a man claiming to be the former governor's brother.
Former Governor El-Rufai, who has been in ICPC custody since February 19, 2026, faces trial over allegations of money laundering and conversion of public property.
