The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied allegations that a suspected cyber fraudster, Michael Sesugh, died while in its custody, insisting that the suspect was killed after a gun battle involving operatives of the commission and suspected cult members in Makurdi, Benue State.
The clarification followed reports and claims circulating in some quarters that the suspect died in detention at the EFCC’s Makurdi Zonal Directorate. The anti-graft agency described the reports as false and provided details of the events that led to Sesugh’s death.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the commission said Sesugh was not in custody at the time of his death and was neither on bail nor under detention when the incident occurred.
According to the EFCC, the suspect was among a group of 26 persons arrested in April during an operation targeting individuals suspected of engaging in cybercrime activities in Benue State.
Oyewale explained that operatives of the Makurdi Zonal Directorate arrested the 26 suspects on April 28, 2026. Following their arrest, the suspects were profiled and detained for further investigation after the commission obtained a remand order from a Magistrate Court.
He said the investigation was ongoing when an unexpected security breach occurred at the detention facility.
According to the EFCC spokesman, on May 4, 2026, three of the suspects requested permission to use the toilet within the holding facility. The request was granted, but the suspects allegedly took advantage of the opportunity to escape.
The commission said the three suspects broke through the roof of the toilet and fled from custody.
The escape triggered efforts by EFCC operatives to locate and re-arrest the suspects. However, several attempts to track them down were unsuccessful in the weeks that followed.
The situation changed on May 21, 2026, when intelligence reports allegedly revealed the whereabouts of one of the escapees, identified as Asar Michael Sesugh.
According to the EFCC, information available to its operatives indicated that Sesugh was hiding in the Kansho area of Makurdi.
Acting on the intelligence, a team of EFCC operatives moved to the location in an effort to re-arrest him and continue the investigation.
However, the commission claimed that the operation took a violent turn when Sesugh and individuals suspected to be members of a cult group allegedly opened fire on the operatives immediately they sighted the team.
The EFCC stated that its officers responded to the attack in self-defence.
The resulting exchange of gunfire reportedly forced Sesugh and the other suspects to flee from the scene.
According to Oyewale, operatives later discovered Sesugh lying by the roadside in a pool of blood shortly after the shooting incident.
The suspect was immediately taken to the Police Cottage Hospital located within the Benue State Police Headquarters in Makurdi for medical attention.
However, doctors at the facility reportedly confirmed him dead on arrival.
The EFCC said the incident was promptly reported to the Benue State Police Command for further investigation.
The commission explained that the police had commenced an investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death.
It also disclosed that security agencies were working to identify and arrest other members of the group who escaped following the gun battle.
According to the statement, preliminary findings from the police investigation have already been made public, while efforts continue to establish all the facts connected to the incident.
The anti-corruption agency stressed that contrary to claims circulating online and in some communities, Sesugh did not die while being held by the commission.
“The Commission wishes to state clearly that the dead suspect did not die in custody and was not on bail at any time,” the statement said.
The EFCC expressed sympathy to the family of the deceased but maintained that its operatives acted within the law during the operation.
The commission also warned against attacks on its personnel and attempts by suspects to compromise security at its facilities.
“While the EFCC expresses its condolences to the family of the deceased suspect, it will not condone any further attack on its operatives or breach of its internal security by suspects,” the statement added.
The commission further assured Nigerians that it would continue to carry out its duties in line with its mandate of fighting economic and financial crimes.
The case has drawn public attention because it touches on two major security concerns in Nigeria—cybercrime and cult-related violence.
Over the years, the EFCC has intensified its crackdown on internet fraud, commonly known as “Yahoo Yahoo,” leading to the arrest and prosecution of hundreds of suspects across the country.
The agency has repeatedly warned young Nigerians against engaging in cybercrime, noting that such activities damage the country’s reputation and expose offenders to criminal prosecution.
In recent years, the commission has also raised concerns about the growing links between cybercrime and other criminal activities, including money laundering, identity theft, organised crime and cultism.
The death of Sesugh and the circumstances surrounding it are therefore likely to remain under public scrutiny as police investigations continue.
For now, the EFCC maintains that the suspect died after an armed confrontation during an attempt to re-arrest him and not while he was being held in detention.
As investigations continue, attention will be focused on the findings of the police and efforts to apprehend the other suspects who reportedly escaped from the scene.