The family of 17-year-old Sesugh Atser is demanding justice following his death during an operation involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Makurdi, Benue State.
His mother, Jennifer Asar, a garri trader and single parent, described her son as a hardworking teenager who had recently secured admission into secondary school after years out of education due to financial difficulties. She alleged that an EFCC officer shot him and insisted he was neither a fraudster nor a cultist.
According to the family, they were informed by EFCC officials that Sesugh had escaped from custody before being tracked to a hotel, where operatives claimed they came under gunfire. However, relatives and residents disputed the account, alleging that the teenager was shot and left bleeding before being taken to hospital, where he later died.
The EFCC maintains that Sesugh was among suspects arrested over alleged cybercrime who escaped custody and that it is unclear whose bullet caused his death during the operation. The Benue State Police Command also described him as an escapee and said an investigation had been ordered into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
As conflicting accounts continue to emerge, the teenager’s death has sparked public concern and renewed calls for transparency, accountability, and a thorough investigation.
