According to the DSS source, the suspects have confessed to the crime, admitting that they killed the professor after collecting multiple ransom payments from her family.
By TheInvestigator
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested suspects linked to the 2023 abduction and killing of Professor Ekanem Philip-Ephraim, a renowned neurology specialist, in Cross River State.
Philip-Ephraim was abducted on July 13, 2023, from her private clinic on Atimbo Road, Calabar. She was later confirmed dead after weeks of uncertainty surrounding her fate.
As reported by Punh Newspaper, according to the then Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Cross River State, Dr Felix Archibong, the assailants had disguised themselves as patients. While the professor was attending to them at about 7:15 p.m., they reportedly produced weapons and abducted her. The incident triggered widespread outrage, prompting the state chapter of the NMA to suspend medical services in protest while demanding her immediate rescue.
DSS officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Monday, disclosed that two key 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 the alleged gang leader, Patrick Essien Etim, 23, and his accomplice, Bassey Antiha Asuquo, 40.
One of the officials said the DSS had been tracking the gang since the professor’s abduction in July 2023. “Our operatives arrested the leader of the gang and another suspect responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Professor Ekanem Philip-Ephraim. The suspects were apprehended while attempting to carry out another kidnapping,” the source said.
According to the DSS source, the suspects have confessed to the crime, admitting that they killed the professor after collecting multiple ransom payments from her family. “It has been two years of torment for her loved ones, not knowing what happened to her. With this arrest, her family may finally have some closure,” the source added.
The DSS further disclosed that the suspects also confessed to other criminal activities, including the kidnapping of additional victims and the vandalisation of electricity infrastructure. Another suspect, identified as Isaac Ekpeyong, was also arrested in connection with the case.
The agency described the arrests as a breakthrough, reaffirming its commitment to dismantling criminal networks and improving public safety. “This development underscores the DSS’s resolve to strengthen covert operations and restore public confidence in security across the country,” the source said.