DSS Arrests Two Suspects in 2023 Kidnapping and Killing of Neurology Professor

Operatives of the Department of State Services have arrested two men in connection with the 2023 abduction and murder of prominent neurology professor, Ekanem Philip-Ephraim, in Calabar, Cross River State.

The suspects, identified as 23-year-old gang leader Patrick Essien Etim and 40-year-old Bassey Antiha Asuquo, were apprehended on December 27 at a medical facility in the state while allegedly planning to kidnap another senior doctor.

Philip-Ephraim was abducted on July 13, 2023, by armed men disguised as patients at her private clinic. Her killing was later confirmed, sparking widespread outrage and leading the state’s medical association to withdraw services in protest.

A DSS official, speaking anonymously, stated that the agency had been tracking the gang since the abduction. “The duo has confessed to the crime, admitting that they killed the professor after collecting multiple ransom payments from her family,” the source said.

The official added that the arrests should bring a measure of closure to the professor’s family after “two years of torment.” The suspects also confessed to involvement in other kidnappings and vandalism of electricity cables.

Another individual, Isaac Ekpeyong, was also arrested in the operation. The DSS described the breakthrough as part of its ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks and enhance public safety across Nigeria.