Actor Daniel Etim Effiong's Father Spent 34 Years in Prison

In a recent interview, Nigerian actor Daniel Etim Effiong shared the harrowing story of his father, Mose Effiong, who was wrongfully sentenced to death during a military coup in Nigeria. Mose Effiong, a retired lieutenant colonel, was arrested in 1985 after General Ibrahim Babangida seized power.

At the time, Daniel was just one year old. Following the coup on August 27, 1985, a counter-plot against Babangida's regime led to the mass arrest of hundreds of military officers, including Mose Effiong, who was not involved in the coup.

Despite being a close friend of the coup's masterminds, he was pressured to name others and was subsequently sentenced to death by firing squad. His sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment, and he spent 34 years behind bars until he was pardoned by Vatsa.