DSS Apprehends Suspected Mastermind In Calabar Professor Abduction And Murder

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the alleged leader of the gang responsible for the kidnapping and killing of Professor Ekanem Philip Ephraim, a renowned neurologist, nearly two years after the crime.

According to Ireporter Online, the prime suspect, identified as 23-year-old Patrick Essien Etim, was apprehended alongside his accomplice, 40-year-old Bassey Antiha Asuquo, at a medical facility in Cross River State. A security source revealed that the arrests followed extensive intelligence-led investigations by the DSS, which had been monitoring the activities of the syndicate since the professor’s abduction in July 2023.

Investigators said the suspects posed as patients before abducting Professor Ephraim from her private clinic in Calabar. They reportedly collected multiple ransom payments from the victim’s family but went on to kill her. During interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the abduction and murder, as well as other criminal activities, including additional kidnappings and vandalism of electricity infrastructure. Another suspect, Isaac Ekpeyong, was also arrested in connection with the gang’s crimes.

A DSS official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that the arrests provide relief to the victim’s family after two years of uncertainty. “It has been two years of torment for her loved ones, not knowing what happened to the professor. With this arrest, her family and loved ones can finally achieve the peace and closure they deserve,” the source said.

Professor Ephraim was abducted on July 13, 2023, by armed men disguised as patients at her clinic along Atimbo Road in Calabar. Her disappearance prompted outrage across Cross River State, particularly within the medical community, leading the Nigeria Medical Association, Cross River State chapter, to stage statewide protests and an indefinite strike that disrupted healthcare services for over a week.

Authorities have indicated that the suspects will be arraigned following the completion of investigations, as efforts continue to dismantle the remaining members of the criminal network.