Human Rights Lawyer Demands Independent Probe into Atsar Sesugh’s Death, Calls for EFCC Reforms
A human rights lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, has called for an independent investigation into the controversial death of 16-year-old Atsar Sesugh in Makurdi, Benue State, while also demanding broad reforms within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement on Sunday, Abubakar said conflicting accounts from the EFCC, the police, eyewitnesses, and the victim’s family have created serious doubts about what truly happened, insisting that only an impartial inquiry can establish the facts.
“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,” he said, describing the killing of a minor and attempts to link him to cultism as “grossly suspicious and unacceptable.”
The EFCC has denied that Sesugh died in its custody. According to its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the teenager was among 26 suspects arrested on April 28 in Makurdi, Benue State, over alleged internet fraud. The commission said the suspects were remanded by a magistrate’s court and held in custody pending investigation.
The agency further claimed that on May 4, Sesugh and two others escaped from detention after requesting to use the restroom and allegedly breaking through the facility’s roof. It added that intelligence later located him in the Kanshio area of Makurdi, where operatives moved in to re-arrest him.
The EFCC said its officers were attacked by suspected cult members during the operation and that they responded in self-defence. It added that Sesugh was later found injured by the roadside and taken to the Police Cottage Hospital, where he was confirmed dead. The commission maintained that he did not die in detention and had not been granted bail.
The Benue State Police Command gave a similar account, saying EFCC operatives encountered armed youths during an attempt to recapture fleeing suspects, and that the teenager was later found with gunshot injuries after the confrontation. The police said the State Criminal Investigation Department had begun a full investigation into the incident.
However, the victim’s family and some residents have disputed the official narrative. Abubakar said Sesugh’s mother, Jennifer Atsar, accused EFCC operatives of responsibility for her son’s death, alleging that officers demanded N100,000 to release a confiscated phone.
He also noted claims that the teenager had earlier been granted bail but that after the alleged payment was not made, operatives tracked him to another location in Makurdi, where he was shot.
The mother alleged that on May 23, her son left home after receiving a phone call and went to a hotel with a friend, where two men she identified as EFCC operatives were waiting. She said one of the men pulled a gun, prompting the boy to flee before he was allegedly pursued and shot.
Eyewitnesses in Makurdi also offered accounts contradicting the official version, claiming that operatives tracked the suspect to the Gberindyer settlement, where he was shot while trying to escape. One resident alleged he was first shot in the leg and later struck again after falling. Another said community members briefly prevented officers from leaving until they took responsibility for transporting the body.
Abubakar argued that the contradictions across all accounts make an independent probe necessary, not only to determine responsibility for the teenager’s death but also to restore public confidence in law enforcement institutions.
He further criticised what he described as systemic problems within the EFCC, including stringent bail conditions and the frequent use of ex parte detention orders. He argued that such practices undermine constitutional protections and risk turning the agency into a debt recovery body rather than a law enforcement institution.
According to him, the commission must urgently reform its operations and ensure strict compliance with constitutional safeguards, insisting that no agency should operate above the law.
Rights advocates have also pointed to past controversies involving deaths linked to security agencies as evidence of the need for stronger oversight and accountability mechanisms.
Abubakar maintained that only a credible, independent investigation can establish the truth behind Sesugh’s death and ensure justice for his family.
