Femi Ashekun/
A family member has confirmed the death of Toluige Olokoobi Babalola, mother of Oreofeoluwa Lawal-Babalola, the boy in a 2020 viral video, tagged, ‘Mummy be calming down.’
The older Babalola reportedly committed suicide in Benin City where the family resides.
Newsmakerslive.org recalls that a video showing the little boy on his knees frantically begging his mother after offending her went viral in 2020.
In the video, the little boy was seen crying and begging his mother to “calm down and rest a little” before flogging him.
The then four-year-old kid became a social media sensation after the ‘Mummy calm down’ video went viral.
The video was made more popular when the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, used its tagline.
Governor Sanwo-Olu weaved his Eid-el-Kabir message for the year around the theme of Lawal-Babalola’s plea to his mum, “Be calming down.”
The news of her death was shared on X earlier yesterday by a user identified as Samuel, @sammydo214, who claimed she killed herself in Benin, the Edo State capital, leaving behind her husband and three children, including Oreofeoluwa.
Samuel wrote, “The woman in the viral ‘Mummy Calm Down’ video has just committed suicide here in Benin. She refused to speak to anyone about her problems. She left behind three kids for her husband, including the popular ‘Mummy Calm Down’ boy.”
Her death was later confirmed by her cousin, Bidemi Olokobi, in a Facebook post late yesterday night.
His post reads, “RIP Toluige Olokoobi Babalola. Mummy calm down boy’s mother.”