Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
MAKURDI, Nigeria – An escaped cybercrime suspect, Asar Michael Sesugh, has died after his suspected cult associates allegedly opened fire on operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during an operation to re‑arrest him in Makurdi, Benue State. The incident has ignited a fierce controversy, with the anti‑graft agency insisting the teenager was killed in a gunfight, while his family and community members allege an extrajudicial killing.
According to the EFCC, Sesugh was among 26 suspected internet fraudsters arrested on April 28, 2026, by operatives of the Makurdi Zonal Directorate. They were subsequently remanded in custody after a magistrate court issued a remand order. However, on May 4, 2026, Sesugh and two other suspects escaped after being permitted to use the lavatory at the directorate’s holding facility. “They cashed in on the opportunity, broke the toilet’s roof and escaped from detention,” the EFCC said in a statement on June 6, 2026. Several efforts to re‑arrest the escapees initially proved unsuccessful.
On May 21, 2026, the commission received fresh intelligence that Sesugh was hiding in the Kanshio axis of Makurdi. Operatives were dispatched to the location. Upon sighting the team, Sesugh and his suspected cult members allegedly opened fire on them. “Operatives of the Commission returned fire in self‑defence,” the EFCC stated, adding that all the suspects fled during the exchange. However, Sesugh was later sighted lying in a pool of his blood by the roadside. He was immediately taken to the Police Cottage Hospital at the Police Headquarters in Makurdi, where he was pronounced dead.
The Benue State Police Command, which is investigating the incident, confirmed that Sesugh was found in a pool of blood after a reported exchange of gunfire between EFCC operatives and suspected cultists. The police statement, issued by DSP Udeme Edet, indicated that the EFCC operatives had acted on intelligence that the fleeing suspects were hiding behind Mechanic Village in Kanshio. “Upon arrival at the scene, operatives sighted a group of young men suspected to be cultists who opened fire on the EFCC operatives and escaped during an exchange of gunfire that followed. While retreating from the scene, after exchanging fire with the hoodlums, the EFCC operatives sighted one of the escapees, Atser Sesugh, lying in the pool of his blood by the roadside.” The suspect was taken to the police clinic where he was confirmed dead. His corpse has since been deposited at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital mortuary for an autopsy.
The EFCC has categorically denied that Sesugh died in its custody or that he was on bail at any time. The commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, reiterated that the suspect was not in detention at the time of the incident. “The dead suspect did not die in custody and was not on bail at any time,” Oyewale said, while expressing condolences to the deceased’s family.
However, the agency’s account has been met with sharp criticism and disbelief, particularly on social media, where many have questioned how three detainees could escape through a roof undetected and why no immediate manhunt was launched. The victim’s mother, Jennifer Atsar, has given a conflicting narrative. She said her son was a 16‑year‑old JSS 3 student and apprentice furniture maker who supported himself through menial jobs. She alleged that EFCC operatives had previously arrested her son but released him after finding nothing incriminating, though they reportedly kept his phone and demanded N100,000 for its return.
According to the mother, on May 23, her son left home after receiving a phone call and accompanied a friend to a hotel where two EFCC operatives in plain clothes were staying. She claimed that one of the officers drew a firearm shortly after they arrived, prompting her son to flee before he was allegedly chased and shot at close range. Mrs. Atsar rejected allegations linking her son to internet fraud, cultism, or drug‑related activities, insisting he was on bail at the time of his death. She has called for an independent investigation into the incident and demanded the release of his body to the family for a proper burial.
The controversy has sparked widespread public outcry and drawn attention to the EFCC’s operational tactics. Rights activists and civil society groups have renewed calls for an independent probe into the agency’s methods, citing similar incidents in the recent past, including a raid on a teaching hospital in Uyo and nightclub raids in Akure that led to mass arrests and public protests. The Benue State Commissioner of Police has ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department to thoroughly investigate the matter.
As the police investigation continues, the EFCC has maintained that it will not condone any further attack on its operatives or breach of its internal security by suspects. The agency insists it acted in self‑defence and within the bounds of the law. Nonetheless, the conflicting accounts and the death of a minor have left a bitter taste, with many demanding justice for young Sesugh. For now, his body lies in the mortuary, his family awaits answers, and Nigeria once again confronts the heavy cost of the fight against cybercrime.
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