The Digest:
Nigerian actor Daniel Etim-Effiong has detailed his father's decades-long imprisonment after being wrongly linked to the 1986 Vatsa coup plot. Moses Effiong, a retired lieutenant colonel, spent 34 years in prison following his arrest during one of Nigeria's most tense military crackdowns. He was initially sentenced to death by firing squad but narrowly escaped execution. His sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment before he received a presidential pardon in 2020.
Key Points:
- Effiong was just one year old when his father was detained in 1985.
- His father was implicated after a colleague named him under pressure during interrogations.
- Three soldiers separated from the others survived, while the rest were executed at Kirikiri prison.
- The actor described his father's escape from execution as "miraculous."
- The ordeal lasted 34 years before the presidential pardon.
Effiong's story highlights the human cost of Nigeria's military-era coup crackdowns.
Sources: PM News
