By Soni Daniel
Abuja— Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), on December 27 arrested the leader of a gang and his accomplice responsible for the kidnapping and murder of prominent neurologist, Professor Ekanem Ephraim in 2023.
The gang leader, identified as Patrick Essien Etim, 23, and his accomplice, Bassey Antiha Asuquo, 40, were apprehended at a medical facility in Cross River State while allegedly planning to kidnap another high-profile medical professional.
According to a top security source, the DSS had been tracking the gang since Ephraim’s abduction and killing on July 13, 2023, when gunmen posing as patients seized her from her private clinic at Atimbo Road, Calabar.
The source confirmed that 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 said.
The suspects also admitted to kidnapping other victims and vandalising electricity cables, including incidents involving one Isaac Ekpeyong, who was also arrested by DSS operatives.
Professor Ephraim’s abduction had sparked widespread protests by the Cross River State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association, which crippled the health sector for over a week in a bid to pressure the government to rescue her.
“This breakthrough underscores the DSS’s commitment to covert operations and restoring public safety across the country,” the source added.
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