Saint Janet's Children Speak on Her Sudden Death

The children of veteran Nigerian Juju and Highlife musician, Iyun Janet Ajilore, known as Saint Janet, have shared that she complained of chest pain and had trouble breathing shortly before she died.

They talked about this in a recent interview with Alore TV, which was posted on YouTube on Tuesday.

Her daughter, Omowunmi, said that Saint Janet had performed at a show in Sango, Ogun State, the night before and seemed fine when she got home.

"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.

Omowunmi mentioned that the singer went to the market the next day and returned home around 6 PM. After that, she insisted on cooking her own meal.

She later noticed her mother holding her chest.

"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," Omowunmi said.

The singer's daughter said Saint Janet then asked to go to the hospital.

"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, said that the singer was treated soon after arriving 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 got to the hospital only to find out that her mother had already passed away.

"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 remembered Saint Janet as a loving mother who cared about those around her.

"She was a good mother. She always ensured that people around her eat," she said.

Saint Janet's manager, who had worked with her for many years, also said she showed no signs of being sick during her last performance.

He mentioned that she performed at a show in Sango and then sat among the audience after.

"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 called him on the day she died and told him she was making soup and would call him back.

The family has set up a committee to manage her burial arrangements.

They have also started a nine-day period of prayer and thanksgiving, with her funeral planned for August 25 and 26.

PUNCH Online reported that the Nigerian entertainment industry was shocked by the news of the veteran singer's death.

Her death was announced on Sunday by publisher and socialite, Otunba Femi Davies, in a Facebook post.

Davies described Saint Janet as a well-known Juju and Highlife musician famous for her lively performances and energetic presence on stage.

He wrote, "St Janet (Iyun Janet Ajilore), a popular Nigerian Juju and Highlife musician known for her lively performances, energetic stage presence and socially unfiltered party tracks, is dead. She died after a brief illness on Saturday."

Saint Janet was celebrated for her energetic performances and unique style, gaining a loyal following in Nigeria’s Juju music scene and beyond.