Evangelist Lekan Remilekun Amos, popularly known as Omo Dafidi, has opened up about the painful disappearance of his father, Apostle Dr Remilekun Amos, a legendary gospel musician. Speaking on the Talk to B podcast with host Biola Bayo, aired on YouTube on July 3, Omo Dafidi recounted that his father went missing in November 2000 after traveling to Akure, Ondo State, for a ministration and has not been seen since.
Father Vanished During Missionary Journey
Omo Dafidi described the incident as life-shaping, noting that 26 years later, the mystery remains unsolved. "My father, Remilekun Amos, was declared missing. He went for that missionary journey in November 2000, and that was the end. She was invited in Akure. Yoruba people say 'a dead child is better than a missing or lost child.' 26 years counting now. Now my children will ask me, 'Daddy, tell us about Grandpa.' We normally hear people talk about him. His pictures are everywhere, you know? No one will feel the pain more than the real victim, the exact person it happened to, which is me," he said.
His father, Apostle Dr Remilekun Amos, was a well-known gospel singer who never pastored a church but was constantly invited to minister across Nigeria. Omo Dafidi noted that many songs attributed to him today were originally written and performed by his father. "But then I used to look at him and say, 'Ah, this man is so blessed. He's popular, but he doesn't have money.' And he's not seen it as anything. He's contented. My dad wasn't a pastor. He didn't have a church. But he could have invitations from January 1 to December 31. And he sang so many deep songs—even most of the songs I recorded and people attributed to me were his," he added.
Early Life and Career Struggles
The Ilaje Zion gospel star also shared stories from his youth, revealing that he once considered a football career and earned money from artwork while in secondary school. "At a point in time, I was even looking at football as a career. USA '94 World Cup, Maradona took a picture. Diego Maradona took a picture. I drew that picture exactly. I was making money, little money, when I was in secondary school, from artwork. The time I was in JS3, I was making money for myself," he recalled.
Omo Dafidi also recounted teaching his classmates for JAMB examinations, only to see them gain admission while he failed. "Then everybody that I lecture gains admission. Me, the lecturer will write the same JAMB and I will not have admission," he said.
Setbacks in Music Career
Known for his viral TikTok sound "Woli Baali", Omo Dafidi said his decision to pursue music was influenced by his father's legacy, but the journey was fraught with challenges. He described a tragic accident that nearly ended his career. "Point in time, I was having serial accidents. I lost one of my band guys in a fatal accident, and it happened like that. That incident was so much that, you know, we nearly sold everything we had. So we started again from scratch," he recounted.
The gospel singer continues to honor his father's memory through his music, despite the enduring pain of his disappearance.
