Operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested key members of a criminal gang linked to the 2023 kidnapping and killing of Professor Ekanem Philip Ephraim, a respected neurology specialist.
Security sources revealed that the alleged gang leader, 23-year-old Patrick Essien Etim, and his 40-year-old accomplice, Bassey Antiha Asuquo, were taken into custody on December 27 at a healthcare facility in Cross River State.
At the time of their arrest, the pair were reportedly scouting the location to abduct another high-profile medical practitioner.
A third suspect, Isaac Ekpeyong, has also been detained in connection with the syndicate’s activities.
According to insiders familiar with the operation, the DSS had been monitoring the group since July 2023, following the brazen abduction of Professor Ephraim. Gunmen, disguised as patients, stormed her private clinic on Atimbo Road in Calabar and seized her on July 13 that year.
The suspects have since confessed, admitting they murdered the professor after extracting several ransom payments from her family. They also acknowledged involvement in additional kidnappings and the sabotage of electrical infrastructure across the state.
The case had lingered painfully for over two years, leaving Professor Ephraim’s family and colleagues in anguish over her fate. One source close to the investigation noted that the arrests could finally bring much-needed closure: “Her loved ones have endured prolonged uncertainty. This development should offer them some solace and a path toward healing.”
The abduction sparked intense backlash at the time, with the Cross River chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association launching an indefinite strike that disrupted healthcare services statewide for more than a week. Doctors rallied in protests, pressing authorities for swift action to secure her release.
Insiders hailed the operation as a testament to the DSS’s focus on intelligence-led policing, signaling a stronger push toward enhancing security and curbing violent crime nationwide
