Human rights lawyer, Marshal Abubakar has urged authorities to launch an independent investigation into the controversial death of 16-year-old Atsar Sesugh in Makurdi, Benue State, while also calling for far-reaching reforms within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, Abubakar said the differing accounts from the EFCC, police, eyewitnesses and the victim’s family have raised serious concerns that require an impartial and transparent 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.”
His demand follows the EFCC’s recent rejection of claims that the teenager died while in its custody.
The anti-graft agency, through its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, stated that Sesugh was among 26 individuals arrested on April 28 by operatives of its Makurdi Zonal Directorate over alleged internet fraud activities.
According to the commission, the suspects were remanded by a magistrate’s court and kept in custody pending further investigation.
The EFCC claimed that on May 4, Sesugh and two others escaped detention after seeking permission to use the restroom and allegedly breaking through the facility’s roof.
The commission further stated that intelligence later revealed the teenager’s whereabouts in Makurdi’s Kanshio area, prompting operatives to move in for his re-arrest.
According to the EFCC, officers came under attack from suspected cult members accompanying Sesugh and returned fire in self-defence.
The agency said the suspects fled during the confrontation and that Sesugh was later discovered injured by the roadside. He was subsequently taken to the Police Cottage Hospital, where doctors confirmed him dead.
The commission maintained that the teenager neither died in detention nor had he been granted bail before the incident.
The Benue State Police Command offered a similar explanation, stating that EFCC operatives encountered armed youths suspected of cult activities while attempting to recapture fleeing suspects.
Police said Sesugh was later found with gunshot wounds after the exchange.
Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to carry out a detailed investigation.
However, Sesugh’s relatives and residents have challenged the official account.
Abubakar noted that the victim’s mother, Jennifer Atsar, accused EFCC officers of being responsible for her son’s death after allegedly demanding N100,000 before releasing a mobile phone confiscated during his arrest.
According to the lawyer, the family claimed the teenager had earlier been released on bail, while his phone remained with the agency pending payment of the money.
He said relatives alleged that after the payment was not made, operatives traced Sesugh to another location in Makurdi and shot him.
The claims align with earlier statements by Mrs Atsar, who described her son as a Junior Secondary School student and apprentice furniture maker.
She alleged that on May 23, he left home after receiving a phone call and accompanied a friend to a hotel where two men she identified as EFCC operatives were waiting.
She claimed one of the men suddenly drew a firearm, prompting her son to flee before he was allegedly pursued and shot.
Residents who witnessed the incident also disputed the official narrative.
According to eyewitness accounts, operatives tracked Sesugh and another suspect to the Gberindyer settlement in Makurdi.
One resident alleged that the teenager was shot in the leg while attempting to escape and later sustained another gunshot wound after falling.
Another witness claimed community members prevented the officers from leaving the area until they accepted responsibility for transporting the victim’s body.
The conflicting versions of events have intensified calls for an independent inquiry to determine exactly what happened.
Abubakar argued that such an investigation is necessary not only to establish responsibility for the teenager’s death but also to strengthen public trust in law enforcement agencies.
Beyond the incident, the lawyer criticised what he described as systemic issues within the EFCC.
Drawing from his legal experience, he alleged that the commission frequently imposes difficult bail requirements, including demands for high-ranking civil servants as sureties and the submission of original land documents.
He argued that courts have repeatedly frowned upon such conditions, describing them as inconsistent with the constitutional presumption of innocence and capable of encouraging corrupt practices.
The lawyer also faulted the increasing use of ex parte detention orders, alleging that suspects are often kept in custody for extended periods while being pressured to make refunds, even in matters arising from civil disputes.
According to him, such practices risk turning the anti-corruption agency into a debt recovery institution rather than a law enforcement body.
“The Commission must look inwards and embark on urgent reforms. The Commission cannot be a law unto itself. The Commission was set up by law and it cannot pretend to be above the Constitution,” he said.
Abubakar maintained that an independent panel should be constituted to uncover the true circumstances surrounding Sesugh’s death and ensure justice for his family.
He also noted that concerns over deaths involving suspects in custody are not new. In 2016, the EFCC reported that a fraud suspect, Desmond Nunugwo, died after suffering a medical emergency while in detention, although the agency said the matter was referred to the police for investigation.
Rights advocates say recurring controversies involving deaths linked to law enforcement operations highlight the need for greater accountability, transparency and independent oversight of security agencies.
For Abubakar, the death of Atsar Sesugh presents an opportunity for meaningful institutional reform, insisting that only a credible investigation and strict adherence to constitutional safeguards can restore confidence in the EFCC’s operations and ensure its anti-corruption mandate is carried out within the law.
