Police have arrested the husband of Toluige Olokoobi, the mother of Oreofeoluwa Lawal-Babalola, the little boy who inspired the viral “mummy be calming down” video after committing suicide.
In 2020, Oreofeoluwa became an instant sensation on social media platforms after a video went viral of him in tears from his mom’s scolding while confidently telling her to “calm down” and give him a “last chance.”
The footage also inspired Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos governor’s Eid-el-Kabir message to Muslim faithful and inhabitants of the state, in which he urged them to maintain calm amid the COVID-19 crisis. The boy, along with his family, subsequently met with the governor, who commended his courage and composure.
Oreofeoluwa was featured in several interviews with media outlets. He also expressed his desire to become a police officer to help fight corruption in Nigeria.
But on Tuesday, a user disclosed that Toluige committed suicide in Benin for unknown reasons.
The user, who claimed to have been at the scene of the incident on Monday afternoon, added that Toluige had refused to share her problems with anyone before taking her own life. “The woman in the viral ‘Mummy Calm Down’ video has just committed suicide here in Benin,” he wrote.
“She refused to speak to anyone about her problems. She left three kids for her husband, including the popular ‘Mummy Calm Down’ boy.”
POLICE CONFIRM TOLUIGE’S DEATH, HUSBAND DETAINED
Confirming Toluige’s demise in a chat with BBC Pidgin, Chidi Nwabuzor, the spokesperson for the Edo state police command, said her husband has been arrested and detained for questioning.
Nwabuzor said the husband reported the matter to the police. The police spokesperson quoted the husband as saying, “He came home from the market when he saw his wife hanging with a rope around her neck.” Nwabuzor said she was rushed to the hospital and then to the mortuary after she was confirmed dead.
