OFFICER ALLEGEDLY USED “BACK DOOR” TO ESCORT AICHATOU ASSABE EL-RUFAI INTO ICPC FACILITY WHERE HUSBAND WAS IN CUSTODY
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has reportedly dismissed a security officer accused of facilitating unauthorised access to detained former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai by one of his wives.
The officer, identified as Daniel Stephen, was attached to the commission’s internal security team and was allegedly captured on CCTV assisting Aichatou Assabe El-Rufai to enter the ICPC premises on July 5, 2026, outside the approved visitor-access procedure.
According to a report cited by Vanguard, Stephen subsequently admitted his involvement in a handwritten statement submitted to an investigation panel.
In the statement, the officer allegedly acknowledged helping El-Rufai’s wife gain access to her husband “through the back door.”
HOW THE ALLEGED UNAUTHORISED VISIT HAPPENED
According to the account attributed to Stephen, he drove Assabe into the ICPC premises through a rear entrance and escorted her upstairs to the section where El-Rufai was being held.
An ICPC source quoted in the report alleged that Stephen even switched off the light before the pair entered the room where the former governor was being detained.
During the approximately 15-minute visit, Assabe allegedly handed her husband a document, picked up a black purse and discussed a court matter with him in Hausa.
Stephen reportedly then escorted her out through the same rear entrance and drove her away from the premises.
The security officer allegedly acknowledged that he knew the visit had not complied with the commission’s established procedures.
Under the reported procedure, visitors are expected to have their details recorded at the gate and obtain clearance from the head of the security unit before gaining access to the facility.
Stephen allegedly admitted that his actions constituted a breach of those rules.
“I agree that I am wrong and breached commission procedure,” he reportedly wrote, while stating that his statement was made voluntarily and without coercion or duress.
ALLEGED ACCESS FOR EL-RUFAI’S BROTHER
The investigation reportedly uncovered another allegation concerning Stephen’s conduct.
According to the account attributed to the dismissed officer, there had previously been an occasion when he helped Assabe move further into the facility while officials were still verifying her identity.
He allegedly said that after assisting her, a man approached him and identified himself as El-Rufai’s blood brother.
Stephen reportedly admitted that he subsequently assisted the man in gaining entry through the same back entrance.
The alleged incidents have raised questions over security procedures surrounding the detention of the former governor and how unauthorised persons were able to gain access to a restricted area.
EL-RUFAI REMAINS IN ICPC CUSTODY
El-Rufai has reportedly remained in ICPC custody since February 19, following his release from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He is facing allegations relating to money laundering and conversion of public property, allegations he has denied.
The former governor has also previously complained about restrictions on access to his family, while legal actions connected to his detention and alleged denial of access have continued.
The latest development could therefore add another dimension to the dispute surrounding the conditions of his detention and the administration of access to him.
SECURITY BREACH OR FAMILY ACCESS?
The reported dismissal of the officer highlights the tension between security regulations governing detention facilities and family members seeking access to detained persons.
While family visitation may ordinarily be subject to established procedures, the allegation in this case centres on whether those procedures were deliberately bypassed and whether an internal security officer abused his position to facilitate unauthorised entry.
The ICPC has reportedly treated Stephen’s conduct as a breach serious enough to warrant his dismissal.
However, the allegations concerning the officer, the nature of the visit and the involvement of other individuals remain matters arising from an internal investigation and should be distinguished from findings established by a court.
The development is also likely to attract further political attention because of El-Rufai’s increasingly strained relationship with the Federal Government and his continuing relevance in Nigeria’s opposition politics ahead of the 2027 elections.
For now, the focus is on the ICPC’s security procedures, the circumstances surrounding the alleged unauthorised visits and whether further disciplinary or investigative action will follow.
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