Veteran Nigerian Juju and Highlife singer, Iyun Janet Ajilore, popularly known as Saint Janet, suffered a sudden health crisis after complaining of chest pain and struggling to breathe before she passed away, her children have revealed.
The singer’s children disclosed the heartbreaking details during an interview with Alore TV published on YouTube on Tuesday, as they narrated the final moments of the music icon.
According to her daughter, Omowunmi, Saint Janet had returned from a performance in Sango, Ogun State, the previous night in high spirits, showing no indication that anything was wrong with her health.
She said the singer thrilled fans at the event and received loud applause before returning home after the overnight show.
Omowunmi explained that her mother went about her normal activities the following day, including a trip to the market, before returning home around 6pm to prepare her own meal.
She, however, said the situation suddenly changed when she noticed the singer holding her chest and complaining that she felt an unusual sensation.
“After cooking, she moved around the house to check if there was anything else to do. Later, I saw her holding her chest. She said she felt as if something wanted to leave her chest and her breathing became abnormal,” she recounted.
The daughter said Saint Janet immediately requested to be taken to the hospital, where she was rushed by her brother, uncle and other siblings.
She added that the singer was placed on oxygen shortly after arriving at the hospital, but her condition deteriorated within minutes.
Her son, Orinayo, said medical personnel attended to her quickly but she later lost her pulse.
He explained that the family was informed that she was having breathing difficulties and that doctors were trying to stabilise her before she passed away.
Another daughter, Fola, said she arrived at the hospital only to receive the devastating news that her mother was dead.
She described Saint Janet as a compassionate mother who always cared about the welfare of people around her, especially ensuring that nobody went hungry.
“She was a good mother. She always made sure people around her had food to eat,” Fola said.
The singer’s manager also dismissed any suggestion that she was battling an illness before her death, saying she appeared healthy during her last performance.
He recalled that Saint Janet performed at a show in Sango, Ogun State, and later sat among the audience after her performance, interacting freely with the organisers.
The manager added that the singer spoke with him on the day she died, informing him that she was preparing soup and would call him back later.
Following her death, the family has constituted a committee to coordinate burial arrangements.
A nine-day prayer and thanksgiving programme has commenced, while her funeral has been fixed for August 25 and 26.
Saint Janet’s death was earlier reported by this medium.
