Singer Saint Janet complained of chest pain, died at hospital — Children

The children of veteran Nigerian Juju and Highlife musician, Iyun Janet Ajilore, popularly known as Saint Janet, have revealed that the singer complained of chest pain and experienced difficulty breathing shortly before her death.

The children disclosed this in a recent interview with Alore TV, uploaded on YouTube on Tuesday.

According to her daughter, Omowunmi, St Janet had performed at a show in Sango, Ogun State, the previous night and showed no sign of illness before returning 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 said the singer went to the market the following day and returned home around 6pm, after which she insisted on preparing her own meal.

She said she later noticed her mother clutching 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 St Janet subsequently asked to be taken 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 the singer was attended to shortly 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 arrived at the hospital only to learn that her mother had 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 St Janet as a caring mother who was concerned about the welfare of those around her.

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

St Janet’s manager, who worked with her for several years, also said the singer showed no sign of illness during her final performance.

He said she performed at a show in Sango and remained among the audience after her performance.

“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 St Janet called him on the day of her death and told him she was preparing soup and would call him back.

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

A nine-day period of prayer and thanksgiving has also commenced, while her funeral has been scheduled for August 25 and 26.

PUNCH Online had reported that the Nigerian entertainment industry was thrown into mourning following the death of the veteran singer.

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

Davies had described St Janet as a popular Juju and Highlife musician known for her vibrant live performances and energetic stage presence.

He wrote, “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.”

St Janet was widely celebrated for her energetic performances and distinctive style, earning a loyal following within Nigeria’s Juju music community and beyond.