Popular Nigerian singer Niniola has revealed that the trauma of witnessing her father, Brigadier-General Simeon Apata (rtd.), being assassinated is an experience she will never recover from.
Gen. Apata was killed by gunmen on January 8, 1995, in Lagos, in the presence of his family, a tragedy that deeply impacted Niniola and her siblings.
In a recent interview with Jay On Air, Niniola revisited the painful memory, describing the emotional toll it continues to have on her. “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,” she said. She added that she was very young at the time and could not recall her exact age, but the memory remains vivid and haunting.
Niniola’s sister, fellow singer Teni, shared a similar sentiment in 2023, revealing that she was only two years old when their father was killed, and the experience left her deeply traumatised. The sisters have often spoken about their father’s influence and the lasting impact of his tragic death on their lives.
The late Brigadier-General Simeon Apata, a retired officer of the Nigerian Army, was known for his contributions to education in Nigeria, having founded the Apata Memorial School in Lagos before his untimely death.
