Juju singer Saint Janet had difficulty breathing before death, children recount

Veteran Nigerian Juju and Highlife musician, Iyun Janet Ajilore, popularly known as Saint Janet, complained of chest pain and difficulty breathing shortly before she died, according to her children.

The family disclosed this during an interview with Alore TV published on YouTube on Tuesday, as they recounted the singer’s final hours.

Her daughter, Omowunmi, said Saint Janet had performed at an overnight show in Sango, Ogun State, on the eve of her death and appeared healthy throughout 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,” she said.

According to Omowunmi, the singer visited the market the following day and returned home around 6 p.m. She insisted on cooking for herself despite appearing normal earlier.

“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.

She added that the musician later requested 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 medical personnel attended to Saint Janet immediately on arrival, but she 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 was informed of her mother’s death 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.

Fola described the late singer as a caring mother who always looked after people around her.

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

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

“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.

He further revealed that she called him on the day she died and mentioned that she was preparing soup and would return the call later.

The family has constituted a committee to coordinate burial arrangements.

A nine-day prayer and thanksgiving programme has begun, while the funeral has been scheduled for August 25 and 26.

Saint Janet’s death was first announced on Sunday by publisher and socialite Otunba Femi Davies in a Facebook post.

Davies 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.”

The veteran entertainer was widely known for her energetic stage performances and distinctive Juju style, which earned her a loyal following within Nigeria’s Juju music community and among fans of traditional Highlife music.