Olaniyi Afonja, the actor popularly known as Sanyeri, has narrated how his parents tied his hands and legs and publicly flogged him for abandoning his formal education for acting.
The comic actor, during a recent interview, recounted how his passion for acting clashed with his parents’ dreams for his future.
He disclosed how painful the rift his acting career caused between him and his parents, he admitted that he now regrets not furthering his education.
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According to him, they believed that formal education was the only path to success and strongly opposed his interest in acting.
The actor said that whenever they discovered that he was on a movie set or at rehearsals instead of in a classroom, the consequence was severe.
“There was a day Iya Niyi [my mother] came with a cane to beat me on stage,” he recalled. “My hands and legs were tied during a performance in front of the audience and my fans.”
Sanyeri said that, despite the public humiliation and pressure from home, he could not abandon the craft that brought him joy.
He said ultimately, he ran away from home to live with his boss at the time.
Looking back on his journey, the actor expressed regret over the choices he made. “I regret not furthering my education,” he admitted, acknowledging that his parents were only trying to protect him and secure his future.
