The children of veteran Nigerian Juju and Highlife musician Iyun Janet Ajilore, popularly known as Saint Janet, have spoken about the moments leading to their mother’s death, revealing that she complained of chest pain and later struggled to breathe.
The family members made the disclosure during an interview with Alore TV, which was published on YouTube on Tuesday.
According to her daughter, Omowunmi, Saint Janet had performed at an overnight event in Sango, Ogun State, the night before her death and appeared to be in good health.
“She performed the previous night. People even celebrated her with applause. We did not suspect anything. After the show, we came home and slept. The show was overnight,” she said.
Prompt News reports Omowunmi said her mother went to the market the following day and returned home around 6pm. She added that the singer insisted on preparing her own meal before she noticed something was wrong.
“After she finished cooking, she checked around the house to see if there was anything else for her to do. I later noticed she was holding her chest. She said she felt like something wanted to drop off her chest. Her breathing was no longer regular,” she said.
She said Saint Janet subsequently requested to be taken to hospital, after which her brother and other siblings took the singer for medical attention.
“It was my uncle and my three other siblings that took her to the hospital. They said when they got to the hospital, it was not up to 10 minutes that she was admitted and was given oxygen,” Omowunmi added.
Her son, Orinayo, said the singer received immediate attention at the hospital but later lost her pulse.
“I was told that she was having difficulty in breathing. We took her to the hospital, and she was being attended to immediately. It was when they were looking for pulse that she gave up,” he said.
Another daughter, Fola, said she only discovered that her mother had died after arriving at the hospital.
“She complained of chest pain. It is my sister that can explain better. She was not sick. They said she went to the market to buy foodstuff. I also saw the soup she was preparing. They came to call me that she was dead,” she said.
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Fola described the late singer as a devoted mother who was always concerned about the welfare of others.
“She was a good mother. She always ensured that people around her eat,” she said.
Saint Janet’s manager also recalled her final performance, saying she showed no indication that she was unwell.
“We went for a show at Sango. After performing, she went back to sit among the audience, and she spoke with the organiser. She sang well and did not show any sign of sickness,” he said.
The manager added that Saint Janet contacted him on the day she died and told him she was preparing soup before promising to call him back.
The family has since constituted a committee to coordinate the burial arrangements. A nine-day prayer and thanksgiving programme has also commenced, while the funeral has been scheduled for August 25 and 26.
Saint Janet’s death was announced on Sunday by publisher and socialite Otunba Femi Davies in a Facebook post.
Davies described her as a respected Juju and Highlife musician known for her energetic live performances and distinctive party songs.
“St Janet (Iyun Janet Ajilore), a popular Nigerian Juju and Highlife musician known for her vibrant live performances, energetic stage presence and socially unfiltered party tracks, is dead. She died after a brief illness on Saturday,” he wrote.
The veteran singer was widely recognised for her lively stage performances and unique musical style, which earned her a strong following among Juju music lovers in Nigeria and beyond.
