Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested the leader of a notorious kidnap gang responsible for the 2023 abduction and murder of Professor Ekanem Philip Ephraim, a prominent neurologist in Calabar, Cross River State. The suspects, including 23-year-old Patrick Essien Etim and 40-year-old Bassey Antiha Asuquo, were nabbed on December 27, 2025, at a medical facility while plotting another abduction targeting a doctor. A third suspect, Isaac Ekpeyong, also fell into custody for related crimes like cable vandalism.
Professor Ephraim was seized on July 13, 2023, from her private clinic on Atimbo Road by gunmen disguised as patients, sparking protests and an indefinite strike by the Cross River chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association. The gang collected multiple ransom payments from her family before killing her, leaving loved ones in torment for nearly two years. DSS sources confirmed the suspects confessed fully, highlighting the agency’s covert operations to dismantle such syndicates and restore public safety.
This arrest underscores DSS commitment to tracking high-profile criminals amid rising kidnappings in Nigeria’s South-South region. Families of other victims linked to the gang may now seek justice, as the breakthrough ends a painful chapter for the medical community. Security experts hail it as a morale booster for ongoing anti-crime efforts.
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