Lawyer calls for fair probe into teenager’s death and EFCC reforms

Human rights lawyer Marshal Abubakar has asked for an independent investigation into the death of 16-year-old Atsar Sesugh in Makurdi, Benue State. He is also calling for major reforms in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, Mr Abubakar said the details around the teenager’s death and the mixed reports from the EFCC, police, witnesses, and the victim’s family show a need for a fair inquiry.

“We demand an immediate and dispassionate investigation by an independent institution into the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate murder of Master Atsar Sesugh by officials of the EFCC,” the lawyer said.

“The brutal murder of a 16-year-old and labelling such a child a cultist is grossly suspicious and most unacceptable.”

The lawyer's call comes a day after the EFCC denied claims that the teenager died in its custody.

In a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the anti-graft agency said Mr Sesugh was among 26 suspected internet fraudsters arrested by its Makurdi Zonal Directorate on April 28. They were detained according to a remand order from a magistrate court.

The EFCC claimed that Mr Sesugh and two other suspects escaped from custody on May 4 after asking for permission to use the toilet and then breaking through the roof of the facility.

According to the commission, intelligence later showed that Mr Sesugh was hiding in the Kanshio area of Makurdi. This led operatives to try to rearrest him.

The EFCC stated that Mr Sesugh and suspected cult members fired shots at its team, which made operatives return fire in self-defense.

The agency explained that the suspects ran away during the gunfire, while Mr Sesugh was later found lying in a pool of blood by the roadside. He was taken to the Police Cottage Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

The commission insisted that the teenager did not die in their custody and had never been granted bail before the incident.

The Benue State Police Command gave a similar account. They said EFCC operatives met armed youths suspected to be cultists while trying to re-arrest fleeing suspects. They later found Sesugh injured after the gunfire exchange.

The Commissioner of Police ordered the State Criminal Investigation Department to look into the incident.

But Mr Sesugh’s family and witnesses strongly disagree with the official story.

Mr Abubakar pointed out that the deceased’s mother, Jennifer Atsar, accused EFCC operatives of killing her son. She claimed they demanded N100,000 before returning a mobile phone seized during his arrest.

According to the lawyer, the EFCC allegedly arrested the teenager and released him on bail, but kept his phone with the condition that it would only be returned after the payment.

He said the family believes that after they failed to pay, EFCC operatives tracked the teenager down and shot him at close range.

This account matches earlier claims from Mrs Atsar. She said her son, a Junior Secondary School three student and furniture making apprentice, left home on May 23 after a phone call. He went with a friend to a hotel where two men she identified as EFCC operatives were waiting.

She claimed that one officer suddenly brought out a gun, causing her son to run away. He was allegedly chased and shot.

Witnesses who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES also challenged the official account.

According to residents, EFCC operatives traced the teenager and another suspect to the Gberindyer settlement area of Makurdi.

One witness said Mr Sesugh tried to run when he saw the operatives but was shot in the leg. He claimed another shot hit him in the chest as he fell.

Another resident said angry community members stopped the operatives from leaving until they took responsibility for the teenager’s body.

The different stories about the incident have increased calls for an independent investigation to find out what really happened.

Mr Abubakar emphasized that such an inquiry is needed not just to find out who is responsible for the teenager’s death but also to restore public trust in law enforcement.

Beyond Mr Sesugh’s death, the lawyer criticized what he called long-standing issues within the EFCC that need urgent reform.

He argued that the commission often imposes tough bail conditions, requiring suspects to find senior civil servants or directors as sureties and deposit original land titles.

He pointed out that Nigerian courts have ruled such conditions as not in line with the constitutional presumption of innocence and can encourage corruption among public officials.

Mr Abubakar also criticized the growing use of ex parte detention orders, which keep suspects in custody for weeks or months while pressuring them to pay back money, including in civil disputes.

He said this practice makes the anti-graft agency act like a debt recovery agency, which goes against established legal principles.

“The Commission must look inwards and start urgent reforms. The Commission cannot act like it is above the law. It was set up by law and must respect the Constitution,” he said.

The lawyer further stated that an independent panel should investigate the killing to ensure justice for the deceased’s family and uncover the true circumstances of the incident.

This controversy is not the first time questions have been raised over deaths linked to suspects in law enforcement custody.

In 2016, the EFCC reported that a fraud suspect, Desmond Nunugwo, died after a medical emergency while in detention. They insisted that the incident was reported to the police for investigation.

While the details of that case differ from the Makurdi incident, rights advocates say the repeated deaths involving suspects highlight the need for more transparency, accountability, and independent oversight of security agencies.

For Mr Abubakar, the death of Mr Sesugh is a chance for wider institutional reforms.

He said only an independent investigation and following constitutional rules can help restore public trust in the EFCC and ensure that its fight against financial crimes stays within the law.