EFCC responds to claims about cybercrime suspect's death

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied claims that a suspected cybercriminal, Asar Sesugh, died while in its custody. The agency insists that he was killed during a shootout with its operatives weeks after escaping from detention in Makurdi, Benue State.

In a statement released on Saturday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC said Mr Sesugh was one of 26 suspected internet fraudsters arrested on April 28 by its Makurdi Zonal Directorate.

The EFCC said the suspects were detained for further investigation after a magistrate court granted a remand order. The agency mentioned that three of the suspects asked to use the toilet on May 4 but took that chance to escape by breaking through the roof.

It stated that efforts to rearrest them were not successful. The commission later received information on May 21 that Mr Sesugh was hiding in the Kanshio area of Makurdi. Operatives were sent to the location.

“Upon sighting the team, Sesugh and his suspected cult members opened fire on them. Operatives of the Commission returned fire in self-defence,” the statement said.

The EFCC explained that the suspects ran away during the gunfight, but Mr Sesugh was later found lying in a pool of blood by the roadside. He was quickly taken to the Police Cottage Hospital at the Benue State Police Headquarters in Makurdi, where he was confirmed dead.

The commission reported the incident to the Benue State Police Command, which has begun an investigation into the circumstances of the death. Efforts are ongoing to catch the other suspects who escaped.

The EFCC insisted that Mr Sesugh did not die while in detention and was not on bail before the incident. “The dead suspect did not die in custody and was not on bail at any time,” the commission said.

This statement seems to respond to the public concern over the circumstances of the teenager's death, especially following claims from his family that contradict the official story.

Earlier on Saturday, the deceased’s mother, Jennifer Atsar, told Punch newspaper that her son had been arrested by EFCC operatives, released on bail, and asked to pay N100,000 to get his phone back.

She said that on May 23, the 16-year-old Junior Secondary School 3 student and furniture maker left home after getting a phone call. He went with a friend to a hotel where two EFCC operatives were said to be staying.

According to her, one of the officers pulled a gun shortly after they arrived. This made her son run away, but he was allegedly chased and shot at close range. Mrs Atsar rejected claims that her son was involved in internet fraud, cultism, or drugs. She described him as a hardworking teenager who supported himself with apprenticeship and odd jobs. She also called for an independent investigation and demanded the release of his body to the family.

The family's story is different from what the Benue State Police Command had shared. On May 25, police spokesperson Udeme Edet said Mr Sesugh was one of three suspects who escaped from lawful custody at EFCC’s Makurdi facility on May 4 after being arrested for alleged fraud and cybercrime.

The police said EFCC operatives, acting on intelligence, raided a hideout in the Kanshio area of Makurdi. They encountered suspected cultists who allegedly opened fire on them, leading to a gun battle.

The police reported that the suspects escaped during the shootout. Later, they found Mr Sesugh lying in a pool of blood by the roadside and rushed him to the Police Cottage Hospital, where he was declared dead.

His body was taken to the mortuary of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital for preservation and autopsy. The Commissioner of Police has directed the Criminal Investigation Department to look into the incident and step up efforts to catch the other escapees.

This situation is not the first time the EFCC has had to explain a suspect's death in its custody. In June 2016, the commission announced that Desmond Nunugwo, a fraud suspect arrested in Abuja over a N91 million scam, died after developing a medical emergency six hours after his arrest.

The EFCC stated that it reported that incident to the police for investigation and maintained that the suspect had suddenly fallen ill after his statement was recorded. While the details of that case differ from the current incident in Makurdi, the latest statement shows the EFCC’s attempt to counter claims that Mr Sesugh died in their custody, insisting instead that he died during an exchange of gunfire after escaping from detention.

While offering condolences to the family, the commission said it will not tolerate attacks on its operatives or security issues in its detention facilities.