Nigerian singer, Teniola Apata, popularly known as Teni, has revealed details of her father’s gruesome murder many years ago.
Her father, Simeon Apata, a retired Nigerian Army Brigadier-General was assassinated in Lagos by gunmen on January 8, 1995.
While speaking as a guest in the latest episode of the Tea With Tay podcast hosted by actor, Temisan Emmanuel Ahwieh, a.k.a Taymesan, Teni said the trauma of watching her dad being assassinated when she was 2-year-old affected her life.
According to her, her late father was a well known soldier who used to protect the neighborhood from robbers.
The 29-year-old singer said, “My father was a disciplinarian. He was a soldier and he owned a school; Apata Memorial High School. He was also a big philanthropist.
“Growing up with my father passing at such a young age, the trauma of losing my father at a young age affected me. You know, him being assassinated in the presence of all of us and all that stuff. I was 2 at the time.
“Him passing away robbed me as a child of having a father figure. It sort of made me have trust issues growing up. Because they [gunmen] came into our house purposely to kill him.”
The singer said her dad would always remain the person she looked up to the most.