Mama Yabis: Sadness as Popular Highlife Singer St Janet Passes Away After Brief Illness

• Iyun Janet Ajilore, widely known as St Janet or Mama Yabis, passed away on Saturday, August 1, 2026
• Publisher Otunba Femi Davies broke the news on Instagram, revealing St Janet died after a brief illness complicated by diabetes
• The singer built a loyal fanbase through her energetic live shows and boldly unfiltered party tracks that earned multiple regulatory bans

The Highlife music community lost one of its most colourful voices on Saturday, August 1, 2026, when Iyun Janet Ajilore, popularly known as St Janet, passed away following a brief illness.

Her death, attributed in part to complications from diabetes, was confirmed by publisher and socialite Otunba Femi Davies, who shared the news on his Instagram page in the early hours of Sunday.

In his post, Davies described the late Highlife musician as someone whose presence on Nigeria's music scene was impossible to ignore.

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"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," he wrote.

The Legacy of Mama Yabis

Affectionately nicknamed Mama Yabis by her fans, St Janet carved out a niche that blended sharp social commentary, humour and satire in ways that often put her at odds with official bodies.

Her recording Faaji Plus, which contained explicit lyrics, drew bans from the Performing Musicians Employers' Association of Nigeria (PMAN) and the Lagos State House of Assembly. Far from silencing her, those bans only deepened her cult status among supporters who adored her audacity.

It was on the private events circuit where St Janet truly shone. Her live performances became legendary for their warmth, chaos and intimacy, drawing fans across generations who valued her ability to connect without pretence.

Her unapologetic style kept her relevant long after many of her contemporaries had faded from public attention.

See the Instagram post announcing St Janet's death below:

Tributes pour in for St Janet

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YEN.com.gh compiled some reactions below.

News of her passing spread rapidly across social media, with fans leaving tributes beneath Otunba Femi Davies' announcement post.

@mummy_erioluwa commented:

"Oh my God, she still posted some days ago on her WhatsApp about a show in Abesan…..So sad ….she was in London some months ago too …Omo Inalahi Rajiun"

@blessinginvogue shared:

"I thought she was about to make a massive comeback! Nostalgia pages and archive pages on social media have been posting her songs recently. Wow. Life!"

@__blurredlinez reacted:

"Big loss 🕊💔 for my home town Rest In Peace sister janet ajilore"

@royalhotieness wrote:

"😮😮😮😮😮 oh no St bottles cathedral ikeja that year Rest in peace"

Akesifour's Big Chante passes away

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Kwadwo Ntim-Mensah, popularly known as Big Chante, one half of the beloved Ghanaian Hiplife duo Akesifour, had passed away at age 43.

Big Chante was best known for the classic 2006 Afrobeat track African Girl, which made Akesifour one of the most prominent music groups of the mid-2000s.

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A funeral poster shared on Facebook announced his burial and final funeral rites scheduled for Saturday, 8th August 2026, in Ashaiman.

Source: YEN.com.gh