The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has terminated the employment of Daniel Stephen, an officer attached to its internal security team, following an investigation into illegal protocol breaches that allowed unauthorized visitors into its facility.

The disciplinary action stems from an incident on July 5, 2026, when Stephen facilitated an illegal visit for Aichatou Assabe El-Rufai, one of the wives of the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. The ex-governor has been held in ICPC custody following his release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of public property conversion and money laundering—charges he continues to deny.

According to investigative findings, Stephen bypassed the agency’s strict visitor clearings and entry requirements. Standard procedure at the ICPC demands that all visitors register their full details at the main gate and receive explicit clearance from the head of the security unit before entering the premises. Instead, CCTV footage captured Stephen driving Mrs. El-Rufai directly onto the compound, guiding her through a back entrance, and escorting her upstairs to her husband’s holding section.

In a handwritten confession submitted to an internal panel, Stephen admitted to his misconduct without coercion, acknowledging that he brought her in “through the back door.” He detailed how he switched off the lights prior to entering the room where El-Rufai was held. During the unapproved 15-minute visit, Mrs. El-Rufai handed a document to her husband, collected a black purse, and held a discussion in Hausa concerning an ongoing court matter, after which Stephen quietly escorted her out through the same back door.

Insiders revealed that this was not an isolated breach. Stephen’s statement indicated prior unauthorized encounters, including assisting Mrs. El-Rufai on an earlier occasion and subsequently sneaking in another individual who identified himself as Nasir El-Rufai’s biological brother using the exact same back-door route. Facing overwhelming evidence from surveillance footage and his own self-confessed breach of institutional security rules, the anti-graft agency promptly relieved Stephen of his duties.