Nearly two years after the kidnapping and murder of renowned neurology professor Ekanem Philip Ephraim, agents of the Department of State Services (DSS) have apprehended the accused gang leader.
According to reports, the main suspect, Patrick Essien Etim, 23, and his accomplice, Bassey Antiha Asuquo, 40, were taken into custody at a Cross River State hospital.
A security source told Daily Trust that the DSS, which had been monitoring the kidnapping syndicate’s operations since the professor’s death in July 2023, conducted ongoing intelligence-led investigations prior to the arrest.
The source added that the suspects had abducted the professor from her private medical facility in Calabar by pretending to be patients.
Since the professor’s tragic death in 2023, the DSS has been pursuing the gang, according to the source.
According to investigations, the accused killed the deceased despite receiving many ransom payments from her relatives.
During questioning, the two allegedly admitted to the crime and acknowledged their role in the professor’s kidnapping and death.
The victim’s family had been relieved by the arrest after years of uncertainty, according to a DSS source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Her loved ones have been suffering for the past two years since they were unaware of the professor’s fate. The insider stated, “I think that her family and loved ones will finally be able to have some peace and the much-needed closure that they deserve with this arrest.”
According to reports, the suspects also acknowledged committing further crimes, such as abducting more victims and damaging electrical connections in certain areas of the state.
Security sources claim that Isaac Ekpeyong, another suspect, was also taken into custody in relation to the crimes.
Remember that on July 13, 2023, armed men posing as patients at Professor Ephraim’s private clinic on Atimbo Road in Calabar kidnapped her.
Outrage over her kidnapping was felt throughout Cross River State, especially among the medical community.
In an effort to put pressure on the government and security services to gain her return, the Nigeria Medical Association’s Cross River State branch organized nationwide demonstrations and started an indefinite strike after she vanished.
For more than a week, the state’s healthcare system was severely hampered by the industrial action as physicians withdrew their services in support of their kidnapped colleague.
As efforts continue to dismantle the remaining members of the criminal network, security sources stated that the suspects would be arraigned following the end of investigations.
