Effiong's death came less than 48 hours marking the end of the 70th birthday celebration of Emeka Ojukwu. The late General was to celebrate his 79th birthday less than two weeks from his exit. Effiong until his death worked tirelessly in the publication of his autobiography, Nigeria And Biafra: - My Story. Born on November 18, 1924, Efiong was until his death the Akangkang of Ibiono Ibom in Akwa Ibom State. He joined the Nigerian Army on July 28, 1945 rising to the position of ordiance corps member in the colonial army. The late General received the Queen's Commission on 11 January 1956, after his officer cadet training at Eaton Hall in Chester. Effiong went on to do his post commissioning training in various parts of UK and also with the British Army of the Rhine (BOAR) in Western Germany. In 1961after his services as Company Commander during a peacekeeping mission in Congo, Efiong was posted to the Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps. He shortly thereafter proceeded to Britain again where he attended a long ordnance course at the Royal Army Ordnance Corps School in Blackdown.

The late General was awarded Associate Member of the British Institute of Management (AMBIM). on completion of his ordnance training. He became the first Nigerian Commander of the Ordnance Depot in Yaba, Lagos in 1962, and the first Nigerian Director of Ordnance Services of the Nigerian Army in 1963. He was a Lieutenant Colonel when the country became very unstable after the first coup of January 15, 1966. Major General Aguiyi Ironsi emerged Head of State after the coup was foiled. Effiong was posted to Supreme Headquarters in Lagos as the first Principal Staff Officer. In July 1966 after the counter coup that toppled Ironsi, Effiong was posted to Kaduna as Acting Brigade Commander of the 1st Brigade, Nigerian Army. Several attempts were made on Effiong's life as the country became increasingly very unstable. He finally returned to Enugu on the directive that all military officers redeploy to their regions of origin.

Effiong became the second most important man in the east after the civil war broke out. He was appointed Chief Of General Staff in Biafra, and was second in command to Ojukwu. He rose to the rank of Major General as the war progressed. Effiong played an active role in ending the war as he, as Officer Administering the Government of Biafra, surrendered to the federal government. It was a negotiated disengagement of hostilities. One can easily argue that Biafra was not conquered. A conquest of Biafra would have resulted to disastrous consequences in the lives of Igbos, may be, tribal extermination.

With the end of the war in 1970, Efiong went into business. He was married with 8 children. The late General recounting his experiences during the war to the press in a June 1996 interview, said "I have no regrets whatsoever of my involvement in Biafra or the role I played. The war deprived me of my property, dignity, my name.Yet, I saved so many souls on both sides and by this, I mean Biafra and Nigeria. I’m denied everything; No gratuity no pension. Nothing. I felt that I played a role which has kept this country united till today. I never shot anybody, all I did was as a military personnel and officer, I trained soldiers who went to the bush to fight. At the end of it all when I saw they (Biafran soldiers) could no longer continue and Ojukwu had fled, I did what was ideal after wide consultation that today Ojukwu is a hero in this country. I’m not envious but why am I being persecuted by country I played a significant role in is unity".

The text of Effiong's Biafran obituary broadcast of January 12 are as follows:-