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The children of veteran Nigerian Juju and Highlife musician, Iyun Janet Ajilore, popularly known as Saint Janet, have opened up about the final moments of their mother’s life, revealing that she complained of chest pain and later experienced difficulty breathing shortly before her death.
The family disclosed this during a recent interview with Alore TV, published on YouTube on Tuesday, where they recounted the events leading to the singer’s sudden death.
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 throughout the performance.
She said there was nothing about her mother’s condition that suggested she was seriously ill when they returned home after the event.
“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,” Omowunmi said.
She explained that Saint Janet went to the market the following day and returned home at about 6pm. Despite having performed the previous night, the singer reportedly insisted on preparing her own meal after returning from the market.
Omowunmi said she later noticed a sudden change in her mother’s condition while she was moving around the house after cooking.
“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.
The daughter said Saint Janet subsequently asked to be taken to a hospital after complaining about how she was feeling.
“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,” she added.
Her son, Orinayo, also recounted what he was told about the singer’s condition after she arrived at the hospital.
“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 arrived at the hospital after receiving news about her mother but was shocked to learn that the singer had already died.
“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.
Fola described Saint Janet as a caring mother who consistently placed the welfare of those around her above her own comfort.
“She was a good mother. She always ensured that people around her eat,” she said.
The singer’s manager, who had worked closely with her for several years, also recalled her final performance and said there were no obvious signs 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.
According to the manager, Saint Janet also contacted him on the day she died and told him she was preparing soup. She reportedly said she would call him back after finishing what she was doing.
The circumstances surrounding her death have since left her family, colleagues and fans mourning the veteran entertainer, whose career earned her recognition within Nigeria’s Juju and Highlife music circles.
Following her death, the family constituted a committee to oversee her funeral arrangements. A nine-day prayer and thanksgiving programme has also commenced as relatives and supporters continue to honour her memory.
Her funeral has been scheduled to take place on 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 the late singer as a popular Juju and Highlife musician who was known for her energetic performances and distinctive approach to party music.
“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.
Saint Janet was widely recognised for her lively stage presence and unique musical style, earning a loyal audience among lovers of Juju and Highlife music in Nigeria and beyond. Her death has continued to generate tributes from those who knew her personally and those who followed her music throughout her career.
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