Operatives of the Department of State Services have arrested the suspected leader of a kidnapping gang and two other accomplices over the abduction and murder of a prominent professor of neurology, Ekanem Philip Ephraim, who was killed in 2023.
The suspects, identified as Patrick Essien Etim, 23, believed to be the gang leader, and Bassey Antiha Asuquo, 40, were apprehended on December 27 at a medical facility in Cross River State. Security sources disclosed that the duo was arrested while allegedly planning to kidnap another senior medical professional in the state.
According to the DSS, the arrests followed months of intelligence gathering and surveillance that began after the killing of Professor Ephraim in July 2023. The professor was abducted by gunmen who posed as patients at her private clinic in Calabar, a development that shocked the medical community and residents of the state.
Sources within the security agency revealed that Etim and Asuquo confessed to their roles in the kidnapping and murder of the professor. The suspects reportedly admitted that they killed her after collecting multiple ransom payments from her family, despite assurances that she would be released unharmed.
“It has been two years of torment for her loved ones, not knowing what happened to the Professor,” a security source said. The source noted that the arrest would finally provide answers and some measure of closure to the family after a prolonged period of uncertainty and grief.
The DSS further disclosed that the suspects also confessed to involvement in other criminal activities within Cross River State and neighboring areas. These include the kidnapping of other victims and the vandalisation of electricity infrastructure, which reportedly caused prolonged power outages in some communities.
Another suspect, identified as Isaac Ekpeyong, was also arrested in connection with the crimes. Security sources said Ekpeyong was part of the gang’s wider network and played roles in both kidnapping operations and the vandalism of power cables.
Professor Ephraim was abducted on July 13, 2023, from her private clinic located along Atimbo Road in Calabar. Witnesses at the time said the assailants entered the clinic under the guise of seeking medical attention before forcibly taking her away.
Her abduction triggered widespread outrage and fear, particularly within the medical community in Cross River State. The incident led to protests by members of the Nigeria Medical Association, who demanded urgent action from the government and security agencies to secure her release.
The state chapter of the NMA subsequently embarked on an indefinite strike to draw attention to the kidnapping. The industrial action severely disrupted healthcare services across the state for more than a week, as public and private hospitals scaled down or shut down operations.
Medical practitioners had argued that the safety of healthcare workers was under serious threat and insisted that urgent measures were needed to protect doctors and other health professionals from criminal attacks.
Despite the protests and ransom payments made by the family, the whereabouts of Professor Ephraim remained unknown until the recent confessions by the suspects. Her killing deepened concerns about insecurity and the targeting of professionals for ransom in the region.
A DSS source described the arrests as a major breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping and violent crime. The source said the operation reflected the agency’s renewed emphasis on covert intelligence-led operations to dismantle criminal networks.
“This huge breakthrough underscores the commitment of the DSS in reverting to covertness in its operations and restoring public safety across the country,” the source stated.
The DSS has assured the public that investigations are ongoing and that efforts are being intensified to apprehend other members of the gang who may still be at large. The suspects are expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
