‘My Dad Was Sentenced to Death Over Coup Plot’ — Etim-Effiong

Nollywood actor Daniel Etim-Effiong has opened up on a painful chapter of his family history, revealing that his father was once arrested, tried, and sentenced to death over an alleged coup plot during Nigeria’s military era.

Speaking on a podcast, the actor recounted that the incident occurred when he was barely a year old, during the regime of 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.

Etim-Effiong explained that the situation escalated after authorities uncovered the alleged plot. According to him, his father was implicated by a close associate who had already been arrested.

“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 added.

Further recounting the ordeal, the actor disclosed that his father was eventually released in 1993, but only received a presidential pardon decades later in 2020.

Reports indicate that the incident was linked to alleged coup activities during the Babangida era, a period marked by strict military rule and harsh penalties for perceived threats to government authority.

Etim-Effiong’s revelation sheds light on the risks faced by military personnel during that period, where even indirect links to coup plots could attract severe punishment, including execution.