Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested two suspected kidnappers linked to the 2023 abduction and killing of a renowned neurology professor, Ekanem Philip-Ephraim, in Cross River State.
Professor Philip-Ephraim was kidnapped on July 13, 2023, from her office in Calabar after gunmen, who reportedly posed as patients, abducted her during a consultation. Her death was later confirmed by the authorities, sparking outrage within the medical community.
At the time, the then Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Cross River State, Dr Felix Archibong, disclosed that the assailants pretended to be patients before pulling out weapons and taking her away around 7:15 p.m. The incident led the state chapter of the NMA to suspend medical services in protest, demanding her immediate rescue.
Security sources told journalists on Monday that the DSS arrested the suspects on December 27 at a medical facility in Cross River State, where they were allegedly planning to kidnap another senior medical practitioner. The suspects were identified as the alleged gang leader, 23-year-old Patrick Essien Etim, and his accomplice, Bassey Antiha Asuquo, aged 40.
According to one of the sources, DSS operatives had been tracking the gang since the professor’s abduction in July 2023. The suspects reportedly confessed to kidnapping and killing Philip-Ephraim after collecting multiple ransom payments from her family.
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The source said the arrests have brought some measure of relief to the victim’s family, who had lived with uncertainty over her fate for nearly two years. The suspects also reportedly admitted to being involved in other kidnappings and acts of vandalism, including the destruction of electricity cables.
In a related development, another suspect identified as Isaac Ekpeyong was also arrested in connection with the case.
The DSS described the arrests as a major breakthrough, noting that the operation reflects its ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks and improve public safety across the country.
