The Department of State Services (DSS) have taken two men into custody over their alleged involvement in the 2023 kidnap and murder of neurology expert, Ekanem Philip-Ephraim, in Cross River state.
Philip-Ephraim was abducted in July 2023 at her workplace in Calabar and was later confirmed to have been killed by those responsible for the abduction.
According to Felix Archibong, former chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Cross River, the suspects disguised as patients before pulling out weapons and forcing her away while she was attending to them.
Her abduction triggered outrage within the medical community, prompting members of the NMA in the state to suspend services in protest.
Security operatives who spoke anonymously said the suspects, identified as 23-year-old gang leader, Patrick Essien Etim, and 40-year-old Bassey Antiha Asuquo, were arrested on December 27 at a medical facility in the state while allegedly plotting another kidnap.
One of the officials explained that the secret police had monitored the group’s activities since July 2023 after the professor was taken from her Atimbo Road clinic by armed men posing as patients.
The official stated that, “Our operatives, on December 27, arrested the leader of the gang and another suspect who kidnapped and murdered a prominent professor of neurology, Ekanem Philip-Ephraim, in 2023.”
“The gang leader, Patrick Essien Etim, 23, and his accomplice, Bassey Antiha Asuquo, 40, were apprehended at a medical facility in Cross River State.
“The duo has confessed to the crime, admitting that they killed the professor after collecting multiple ransom payments from her family.
“It has been two years of torment for her loved ones, not knowing what happened to the professor.
“I believe that, with this arrest, her family and loved ones will finally have some peace and the closure they deserve.”
The source disclosed that the suspects also admitted to other kidnapping operations and acts of infrastructure vandalism.
Another suspect named Isaac Ekpeyong was also reportedly apprehended in connection with the syndicate’s activities.
According to the security service, the arrests demonstrate its renewed determination to dismantle violent criminal networks and protect citizens.
“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 concluded.