Operatives of the Department of State Services DSS have arrested the alleged gang leader and an accomplice linked to the kidnapping and murder of a renowned professor of neurology, Professor Ekanem Philip Ephraim, who was abducted in 2023.
The suspects, Patrick Essien Etim, 24, identified as the gang leader, and Bassey Antiha Asuquo, 40, were arrested on December 27 at a medical facility in Cross River State, where they were reportedly planning another kidnapping targeting a senior medical professional.
Security sources disclosed that the DSS had been tracking the suspects since July 2023, when armed men posing as patients abducted Professor Ephraim from her private clinic along Atimbo Road, Calabar.
Investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly collected multiple ransoms from the victim’s family before killing her. The sources said the suspects have confessed to the crime.
“For nearly two years, the family lived in anguish, uncertain about her fate. This arrest brings a measure of closure and peace they have long deserved,” a security source said.
The source added that the breakthrough highlights the DSS renewed emphasis on covert operations and its resolve to strengthen public safety across the country.
Further investigations reportedly linked the suspects to other kidnapping cases and the vandalisation of electricity infrastructure. Another suspect, Isaac Ekpeyong, was also arrested in connection with the crimes.
Professor Ephraim was abducted on July 13, 2023, by gunmen who posed as patients at her private clinic on Atimbo Road in Calabar. The abduction triggered widespread protests across Cross River State.
The Cross River State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association embarked on an indefinite strike that crippled health services for more than a week, as doctors demanded urgent government action to rescue the professor.
The DSS said investigations are ongoing, while efforts continue to dismantle the wider criminal network linked to the crime.