Daniel Etim-Effiong has opened up about his father’s arrest and death sentence during Nigeria’s military era, revealing how the family was caught in a harrowing episode linked to an alleged coup plot.
Speaking on The Diary of a Naija Girl podcast, Etim-Effiong recounted that he was just an infant when his father was arrested over alleged links to a planned coup against former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida.
“I was one year old when he was arrested for a coup against President Ibrahim Babangida. His best friend in the army had told him of plans that he had to kick Babangida out of power. And the big question became for him, should he tell on his friend or should he not tell on his friend?” he said.
The Nollywood actor explained that the situation escalated after the alleged plot was uncovered by authorities, leading to the arrest of those connected to the plan.
“When the whole thing was leaked, my dad’s best friend was arrested, and they asked him, ‘Who did you tell about this coup plot?’ And he said he told my dad. My dad was arrested as well, and he was tried and sentenced to death by a firing squad. Miraculously, he survived that ordeal,” he said.
Etim-Effiong disclosed that although his father survived the sentence, he remained entangled in the legal and political consequences of the case for years.
“He was released in 1993 but waited until 2020 before he was granted a presidential pardon,” he added.
His account sheds light on the risks and uncertainties that defined Nigeria’s military era, particularly under the Babangida regime, when alleged involvement in coup plots often attracted severe penalties, including capital punishment.
Ibrahim Babangida military regime lasted from 1985 to 1993 and was marked by political turbulence, with several alleged coup attempts during the period.