DSS Nabs Suspects Linked to Abduction and Killing of Prof. Ekanem Ephraim Two Years After
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested key suspects believed to be behind the 2023 abduction and killing of Professor Ekanem Philip Ephraim, nearly two years after the incident.
The suspects, identified as Patrick Essien Etim, 23, and Bassey Antiha Asuquo, 40, were apprehended at a medical facility in Cross River State while allegedly making plans to abduct another senior medical professional. A third accomplice, Isaac Ekpeyong, was also taken into custody.
Security sources disclosed that the DSS had been trailing the gang since July 13, 2023, when Professor Ephraim was abducted from her private clinic along Atimbo Road, Calabar. The assailants reportedly posed as patients before carrying out the operation.
During interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to killing the professor after collecting multiple ransom payments from her family.
The arrests have brought a measure of closure to the family and colleagues of the late academic, whose abduction triggered widespread outrage within the medical community. At the time, the Cross River State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) embarked on an indefinite strike, grounding healthcare services for over a week in protest and to pressure authorities to secure her release.
The DSS described the arrests as a major breakthrough, reaffirming its commitment to intelligence-led operations and the protection of lives and property across the country.