DSS Nabs Suspected Mastermind of Professor Ephraim’s Kidnap and Killing
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested key suspects linked to the abduction and killing of renowned neurology professor, Ekanem Philip Ephraim, who was kidnapped in 2023.
A reliable security source disclosed that the suspected gang leader, Patrick Essien Etim, 23, alongside an alleged accomplice, Bassey Antiha Asuquo, 40, were apprehended on Saturday at a medical facility in Cross River State.
The duo was reportedly planning another kidnapping targeting a high-profile medical practitioner at the time of their arrest. Investigations revealed that the DSS had kept the gang under surveillance since the professor was abducted in July 2023. The victim was reportedly taken by armed men who disguised themselves as patients at her private clinic.
According to the source, the suspects have confessed to their roles in the crime, admitting that the professor was killed after ransom payments were collected from her family. The arrest, the source noted, brings a measure of relief and closure to the family, who had endured years of uncertainty over her fate.Another suspect, Isaac Ekpeyong, was also arrested in connection with the case. The suspects allegedly confessed to carrying out other kidnapping operations and engaging in the vandalisation of electricity infrastructure.
Professor Ephraim was abducted on July 13, 2023, at her clinic along Atimbo Road in Calabar. The incident sparked widespread outrage, prompting the Cross River State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to stage protests and embark on an indefinite strike that disrupted healthcare services for more than a week.
The source described the arrests as a significant breakthrough, reaffirming the DSS’s resolve to strengthen covert operations and enhance public safety nationwide.
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