Woman who tracked Nigerian Dad after 40 years devastated as he passed away two weeks to reunion

A woman who tracked down her father after nearly 40 years, was left devastated after he died two weeks before Long Lost Family’s Christmas Reunion. Laura Aker, 40, from Kirkcaldy, was reunited with her father, Andrew, last year after he flew to Scotland from Nigeria with his son Nten. 

Following the emotional meeting, Laura travelled to Nigeria to spend more time with her father, along with eight of her step-sisters.

However, shortly before she and her father Andrew were due to meet again, she discovered that he had passed away.According to MailOnline, Laura had believed that her step-father was her biological father until the age of 13, when she learned the truth from her mother Susan, who had become pregnant after meeting Andrew while he was in Scotland training with the Navy. After returning to Nigeria, Andrew had written a letter to Susan promising to return to Scotland; a promise he kept nearly 40 years later on a show “ITV’s Long Lost Family.”

Sadly, Andrew died just over a year after that reunion, just two weeks before “Long Lost Family’s” Christmas Reunion. However, Laura and her step-brother, Nten, still decided to attend the special reunion together following their father’s death. 

 
Speaking on the programme, Nten told host Davina McCall: ‘I’m happy that what he had really endlessness wanted to do before he died was to see Laura, and that happened. 

“He told me on the day of the reunion, ‘I can die now’. It was the peak of his life; it meant a lot.”

Laura further explained her relationship with Nten, adding that she was excited to be reunited with all her other siblings in Nigeria.    “When we go over for the burial, it’ll be sad but exciting at the time.

“Dad always said his wish was to have all the children together. It will be the first time the 13 of us will be together,” she enthused.

During the emotional reunion last year, Laura got the chance to tell her father “I love you” for the first time. 

Long Lost Family’s Christmas Reunion show, sees relatives who have been brought together by the ITV programme being reunited under one roof in a big festive celebration.