Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested two men alleged to be key members of the gang responsible for the 2023 abduction and killing of Professor Ekanem Philip Ephraim, a neurologist in Calabar, Cross River State.

Security sources said the suspects were arrested on December 27, 2025, during an operation in Cross River State, where they were allegedly planning another kidnapping targeting a medical practitioner.
Those arrested 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 taken into custody in connection with related criminal activities.
According to a source familiar with the operation, the DSS had been tracking the group since the killing of Professor Ephraim in July 2023, when she was abducted by armed men who reportedly posed as patients at her private clinic along Atimbo Road, Calabar.

“The DSS has been on their trail since the incident in 2023. They were eventually picked up while planning to kidnap another high-profile medical practitioner,” the source said.
The suspects were arrested at a medical facility in the state, where operatives reportedly moved in after receiving intelligence on their movements.

The source disclosed that the two principal suspects allegedly confessed to their roles in the abduction and killing of the professor, stating that she was murdered after her family had paid multiple ransoms.
“They admitted to killing the professor even after collecting ransom payments from her family,” the source said.
Reflecting on the impact of the arrest, the source added: “It has been two years of torment for her loved ones, not knowing what happened to the professor. I believe that, with this arrest, her family and loved ones will finally have some peace and the closure they deserve.”
According to the source, the suspects also confessed to involvement in other criminal activities, including kidnapping of additional victims and vandalisation of electricity infrastructure.

One of those arrested, Isaac Ekpeyong, was linked to acts of cable vandalism, the source added.
Professor Ephraim, a neurologist, was abducted on July 13, 2023, when gunmen reportedly entered her clinic disguised as patients.
Her disappearance triggered widespread outrage across Cross River State, particularly within the medical community.

The state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) had at the time embarked on an indefinite strike, shutting down public health services for more than a week in protest and to pressure authorities to secure her release.
Commenting on the arrests, a security source said the development reflected renewed operational efforts by the DSS.

“This breakthrough underscores the commitment of the DSS in reverting to covertness in its operations and restoring public safety across the country,” the source said.
The DSS has yet to issue an official public statement on the arrests, but investigations are said to be ongoing as operatives work to establish the full scope of the gang’s activities and possible accomplices.