Lawyer seeks independent probe into EFCC’s alleged killing of 16-year-old Benue student, urges agency reforms

A legal practitioner has called for an independent investigation into the death of a 16-year-old student allegedly killed by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Makurdi, Benue State, while also demanding urgent reforms within the anti-graft agency.

The lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, identified the deceased as Asar Sesugh, a Junior Secondary School student. According to accounts by the teenager’s mother and eyewitnesses, the boy was arrested by EFCC officials, released on bail, but his mobile phone was withheld pending a payment of N100,000. When he failed to make the payment, operatives reportedly tracked him to another location in Makurdi and shot him at close range.

The EFCC has denied the allegations, maintaining that the boy was never granted bail but escaped from lawful custody and was shot following a confrontation involving his associates and EFCC personnel.

Citing the incident, the lawyer criticised the commission’s bail practices, describing them as excessive and unlawful.

He alleged that the EFCC often imposes conditions such as requiring two directors to deposit original property documents, a practice he said courts have repeatedly condemned. He also accused the commission of relying on ex parte court orders to detain suspects for extended periods and pressure them into making refunds, even in civil transactions.

The lawyer demanded an immediate investigation by an independent body, saying the killing of a 16-year-old and labelling him a cultist is suspicious and unacceptable. He urged the EFCC to embark on urgent reforms and operate within the confines of the law.