The family made the revelation in a recent interview with Alore TV, uploaded on YouTube on Tuesday, while recounting the singer’s final hours.
According to her daughter, Omowunmi, Saint Janet had performed at a show in Sango, Ogun State, the previous night and showed no signs of illness.
“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 her mother went to the market the following day and returned home around 6pm, after which she insisted on preparing her own meal.
She later noticed the singer holding her chest and experiencing abnormal breathing.
“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 recalled.
According to her, Saint 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 received medical attention 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 be informed 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 Saint Janet as a caring mother who was deeply concerned about the welfare of those around her.
“She was a good mother. She always ensured that people around her eat,” she added.
The singer’s manager, who worked with her for several years, also said she showed no indication 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.
The manager added that Saint Janet called him on the day of her death and told him she was preparing soup before promising to call him back.
The Nigerian entertainment industry was thrown into mourning following the singer’s death. Her passing was announced on Sunday by publisher and socialite Otunba Femi Davies in a Facebook post.
Davies described Saint Janet as a popular Juju and Highlife musician known for her vibrant live performances, energetic stage presence and distinctive party tracks.
The family has since constituted 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.
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