 have arrested key members of the gang responsible for the kidnapping){kind=link}
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested key members of the gang responsible for the kidnapping and killing of renowned neurology professor, Ekanem Philip Ephraim, nearly two years after her abduction in Cross River State.
According to credible security sources, the arrests were carried out on Saturday following sustained intelligence-led operations linked to the unresolved 2023 case that shocked the state’s medical community.
Among those apprehended is the alleged gang leader, 23-year-old Patrick Essien Etim, alongside his accomplice, Bassey Antiha Asuquo, aged 40.
Both suspects were reportedly intercepted at a medical facility in Cross River State while allegedly plotting the abduction of another senior healthcare professional.
Security officials disclosed that the DSS had maintained surveillance on the criminal network since Professor Ephraim was abducted in July 2023.
Gunmen, who reportedly disguised themselves as patients, had stormed her private clinic and whisked her away.
Investigators revealed that the suspects have confessed to the crime, admitting that the professor was killed despite the payment of several ransom sums by her family.
A third suspect, identified as Isaac Ekpeyong, was also taken into custody during the operation.
“It has been a long and painful wait for the family, filled with uncertainty and grief,” a security source said.
“This arrest brings a measure of closure and reassures the public that justice, though delayed, is not denied.”
Furthermore, the suspects reportedly confessed to involvement in other kidnapping operations across the state, as well as acts of infrastructure sabotage, including the vandalism of electricity cables in affected communities.
Professor Ephraim was abducted on July 13, 2023, at her clinic located along Atimbo Road in Calabar.
Her disappearance triggered widespread outrage and led to mass protests by the Cross River chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).
In response, the NMA embarked on an indefinite strike that crippled health services across the state for more than a week, as medical professionals demanded urgent government action to secure her release.
Meanwhile, security officials described the latest arrests as a major operational success for the DSS.
“This breakthrough reflects a renewed commitment to discreet intelligence operations and the restoration of public safety,” the source said.
Hence, the development is being viewed as a significant step toward addressing long-standing security concerns, particularly the targeting of professionals within the health sector.