Saint Janet’s Children Recount Singer’s Final Hours

The children of Juju and Highlife singer, Iyun ‘Saint Janet’ Ayilore, have revealed that the singer complained of chest pain and breathing difficulties shortly before her death.

Naija News reports that Saint Janet’s manager had confirmed her death on August 2, although the cause was not disclosed at the time.

Speaking in a recent interview with Alore TV, three of the singer’s children, Omowunmi, Orinayo and Fola Ayilor, narrated the events that preceded her death, saying she had shown no obvious sign of illness earlier in the day.

Omowunmi said her mother had performed at an overnight event in Sango, Ogun State, a day before her death and appeared healthy throughout the engagement.

“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 her, the singer went to the market the following day and returned home at about 6 pm before preparing her own meal.

Omowunmi said she later noticed her mother holding her chest and struggling to breathe normally.

She said, “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 later requested to be taken to hospital after her condition worsened.

“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 said medical personnel attended to her immediately after she arrived at the hospital.

He said, “I was told that she was having difficulty 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.”

Another daughter, Fola, said the singer had not been ill before the incident.

Fola said, “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 food stuff. I also saw the soup she was preparing. They came to call me that she was dead.”

She described Saint Janet as a caring mother who was particularly concerned about the welfare of people around her.

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

Manager Recalls Final Conversation

The singer’s manager, who had worked with her for several years, also said Saint Janet showed no sign of illness during her final 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.

He added that the singer called him on the day of her death and told him she was cooking soup, promising to call him back later.

Meanwhile, the family has constituted a committee to coordinate burial arrangements.

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

The family said the dates were agreed upon by members and appealed to fans and well-wishers to continue to remember them in their prayers.