‘Mummy be calming down’: Police confirm mother of ‘viral boy’ committed suicide, detain husband

The Police have confirmed that Toluige Olokoobi, the mother of Oreofeoluwa Lawal-Babalola, the little boy who inspired the viral “mummy be calming down” video, has committed suicide.

An X user @SIKAOFFICIAL had on Tuesday  disclosed that Toluige committed suicide in Benin due to unknown reasons.

The X user, who said he was 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.

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“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.”

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The police  in a chat with BBC Pidgin, confirmed Toluige’s death.

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 to have said that “he came home from the market when he saw his wife hanging with rope on her neck”.

Nwabuzor said she was rushed to the hospital and then to the mortuary after she was confirmed dead.

In 2020, Oreofeoluwa became an instant sensation on social media platforms after a video went viral of him in tears from his mum’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 faithfuls and inhabitants of the state wherein he urged them to maintain calm amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The boy alongside his family thereafter met with the governor, who commended his courage and composure.

Oreofeoluwa was featured in several interviews with media houses.