Popular Nigerian singer, Teni, has revealed that the trauma of watching her father being assassinated when she was two years old has affected her life.
Teni’s father, Simeon Apata, a retired Nigerian army Brigadier-General, was assassinated by gunmen on January 8, 1995, in Lagos.
In a recent interview with Temisan Emmanuel Ahwieh, aka Taymesan, on the Tea With Tay podcast, Teni 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.”
She continued, “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.”
Teni said her father’s assassination robbed her of having a father figure and gave her trust issues.
“They [gunmen] came into our house purposely to kill him,” she said.
Despite the trauma, Teni said her father would always remain her hero.
