Nigerian singer, Teniola Apata, popularly known as Teni, has spoken about her childhood in a polygamous family.
She expressed gratitude for the safety, care, and love she experienced despite her father having three wives and ten children.
In an interview on the ‘Zero Conditions’ podcast, Teni made emphasis on the harmonious relationship among her ten siblings.
She lauded her late father’s wisdom for the peaceful coexistence of the family.
“I grew up in a polygamous family with many people, so you can’t come and do rubbish. I received excellent care, a lot of love and protection. Three wives, ten children. Huge respect for my bloodline. All of my siblings and I get along well, though there are levels of closeness.
“I don’t know any other way, it is boring. If I come back to this life again, I want to come back to the same family. How can I be in a house with one mother, and one father? Ah ah, then all of us will now be sitting down there. Ah ah. There’s no chaos.
“There is love in my home, but we change it oh! Cuz ah, the person wey born us dey craze sha. Do you know what it is to hear gunshots and go to where the gunshots are? That’s not normal,” Teni said.
She added, “It was like he planned his future, and then he planned his death. So before he died, his wives knew about everything. He taught them everything one of my mothers knows how to shoot.
“He taught them how to be and when he passed, they used the skill. That’s how our family was still able to be intact even after my dad passed.”