Singer Niniola Apata, popularly known as Niniola, has recalled the traumatic experience of witnessing the assassination of her father, retired Brigadier-General Simeon Apata, in 1995.
In a recent interview on Jay On Air, she said the trauma remains with her, explaining she was in the house when the assassination occurred and as his favourite child, the impact was deeper.
“I was in the house when my dad was murdered. And I was his favourite child so you can imagine the trauma. Till today, I’m not over it. I can never get over it.
“I was very young when it happened. I don’t remember my exact age then but it wasn’t a good memory,” she said.
Her father was killed by gunmen on January 8, 1995, in Lagos, within the family home.
Her sister, singer Teni, also shared how the event shaped her life.
In a 2023 appearance on the Tea With Tay podcast, she said she was just two years old and that the trauma disrupted her trust and deprived her of a father figure.
“Growing up with my father passing at such a young age, the trauma of losing my father at a young age affected me… I was 2 at the time.
“Him passing away robbed me of a father figure. It sort of made me have trust issues growing up,” she said.
Niniola hails from a large, polygamous family in Lagos, where she was raised alongside her sister, Teni.
She studied at Apata Memorial High School and later earned a degree in Education from the University of Lagos.
Her father’s death occurred when she was around eight years old, marking a pivotal and painful moment in her life.
