My father was sentenced to death over alleged coup plot— Actor Etim-Effiong

By Enitan Abdultawab

Nollywood actor Daniel Etim-Effiong has recounted how his father was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death during Nigeria’s military era over alleged links to a coup plot against former head of state Ibrahim Babangida.

Speaking on The Diary of a Naija Girl podcast two days ago, Etim-Effiong revealed that the incident happened when he was just an infant.

“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 actor explained that the situation escalated after the alleged plot was uncovered by authorities.

“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 was released in 1993 but waited until 2020 before he was granted a presidential pardon”, he added.

Etim-Effiong’s account offers a glimpse into the risks and uncertainties that defined Nigeria’s military era, where alleged involvement in coup plots often carried severe consequences, including capital punishment.

The Babangida era in Nigeria history lasted between 1985 to 1993.

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