By RismadarVoice Media
December 29, 2025
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested two suspected kidnappers linked to the 2023 abduction and killing of a renowned neurology professor, Ekanem Philip-Ephraim, in Cross River State.
Professor Philip-Ephraim was abducted on July 13, 2023, from her office in Calabar, was later confirmed to have been killed by her captors, an incident that sparked outrage within the medical community and beyond.
Security sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Monday, said the suspects were arrested on December 27, 2025, at a medical facility in the state while allegedly planning to abduct another senior medical practitioner.
The suspects were identified as Patrick Essien Etim, 23, described as the leader of the gang, and Bassey Antiha Asuquo, 40. A third suspect, Isaac Ekpeyong, was also arrested in connection with the case.
According to the DSS source, the agency had been tracking the criminal gang since the Professor’s abduction in 2023.
“Our operatives arrested the leader of the gang, another suspect responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Professor Ekanem Philip-Ephraim,” the source said.
“They were apprehended at a medical facility in Cross River State. The suspects have confessed to the crime, admitting that they murdered the professor after collecting multiple ransom payments from her family.”
The source added that the arrests have brought relief to the victim’s family after nearly two years of uncertainty.
“It has been two years of torment for her loved ones, not knowing what happened to her. With these arrests, the family may finally find closure,” the official said.
Investigations revealed that the kidnappers posed as patients before abducting the professor from her private clinic on Atimbo Road, Calabar, at about 7:15p.m. on the day of the incident.
The abduction had prompted the Cross River State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to suspend medical services in protest, demanding her immediate rescue.
The DSS source further disclosed that the suspects confessed to involvement in other criminal activities, including kidnapping of additional victims, vandalization of electricity infrastructure.
Describing the arrests as a major breakthrough, the source said the development reflects the DSS’ renewed commitment towards dismantling criminal networks, improving public safety.
“This breakthrough underscores the determination of the DSS towards restoring covertness in its operations, enhance public safety across the country,” the source said.
