MAKURDI — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is embroiled in a heated controversy following the death of Asar Michael Sesugh, a 16-year-old cybercrime suspect. While the commission maintains that Sesugh died during a gun battle after escaping detention, his family and human rights advocates are alleging an extrajudicial killing.

The EFCC’s Official Account

According to Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Sesugh was among 26 individuals arrested on April 28, 2026, for alleged cyber fraud. The commission states that on May 4, Sesugh and two others escaped from the Makurdi Zonal Directorate’s holding facility after breaking through the roof of a lavatory.

On May 21, operatives reportedly tracked Sesugh to the Kanshio area of Makurdi. The commission claims that upon sighting the team, Sesugh and suspected cult associates opened fire. Operatives returned fire in self-defense, during which the suspects fled. The EFCC states that Sesugh was later found lying in a pool of blood by the roadside and was rushed to the Police Cottage Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The commission has firmly denied that the teenager died in custody or was on bail at the time of the incident, stating it has reported the case to the Benue State Police Command for investigation.

Conflicting Family Allegations

The official narrative is being strongly contested by the deceased’s family. Sesugh’s mother, Jennifer Atsar, has alleged that her son had been released on bail and that operatives later tracked him down and killed him at close range after the family failed to meet a demand for N100,000 to retrieve his seized phone.

Eyewitnesses in the area have also offered accounts that contradict the EFCC’s version, alleging that the teenager was shot in the leg while attempting to flee and was subsequently shot again in the chest.

Calls for Independent Inquiry

The controversy has drawn the attention of human rights advocates. Marshal Abubakar, a prominent human rights lawyer, has formally demanded an independent and dispassionate investigation into the killing. He emphasized that the starkly conflicting accounts between the EFCC, the police, eyewitnesses, and the family necessitate an impartial inquiry to ensure justice and hold those responsible accountable.

The Benue State Police Command has confirmed that it has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, while the EFCC maintains it will not tolerate attacks on its operatives or breaches of its internal security.