Nigerian singer Teniola Apata, also known as Teni, has revealed how her father’s murder when she was just 2, impacted her life.
Her father, Simeon Apata, a retired Nigerian Army Brigadier-General, was brutally assassinated by gunmen in Lagos on 8 January, 1995.
During an interview on the Tea With Tay podcast hosted by actor Temisan Emmanuel Ahwieh, also known as Taymesan, Teni talked about how witnessing her father’s assassination at such a young age had a lasting impact on her life.
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Teni described her late father as a well-respected soldier who used to protect the community from criminals.
The 29-year-old singer revealed, “My father was a strict disciplinarian. He served in the army and was also the owner of Apata Memorial High School. He was known for his philanthropy.”
“Losing my father at such a young age was a traumatic experience that affected me deeply. I was only 2 years old when I saw him being assassinated right in front of us,” Teni continued.
She added, “His death deprived me of having a father figure during my childhood. It also caused me to develop trust issues as I grew up, knowing that those gunmen entered our home with the purpose of killing him.”
Teni expressed that her father will always be the person she admired and looked up to the most.
