Operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the suspected killers of Professor Ekanem Philip Ephraim, a Neurologist, nearly two years after her murder.
A reliable source confirmed this to Channels Television on Monday, identifying the gang leader as 24-year-old Patrick Essien Etim, alongside his accomplice, 40-year-old Bassey Antiha Asuquo.
The suspects were apprehended at a medical facility in Cross River State on 27th December, while allegedly planning to kidnap another prominent medical professional.
According to the source, the DSS had been monitoring the kidnapping ring since Professor Ephraim’s murder in July 2023, when gunmen disguised as patients abducted her.
The pair reportedly confessed to the crime, admitting that they killed the professor after receiving multiple ransom payments from her family.
“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 friends will finally find some peace and the closure they so desperately deserve,” the source stated.
“This significant breakthrough highlights the DSS’s commitment to returning to covert operations and restoring public safety across the nation.”
The source also noted that the suspects admitted to kidnapping other victims and vandalising electricity cables, with another individual, Isaac Ekpeyong, also arrested by the operatives.
Professor Ekanem was abducted on 13th July 2023 by unidentified gunmen who posed as patients at her private clinic on Atimbo Road, Calabar.
Her abduction led to widespread protests by the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
In response, the medical association launched an indefinite strike, which severely impacted the health sector for over a week, urging the government to secure the professor’s release.
