In a poignant bid to silence swirling rumors and offer closure to grieving fans, the elder brother of late Nollywood icon Chief Kanran (Olusegun Akinremi) has spoken out, emphatically stating that the veteran actor showed no signs of illness in the hours leading up to his tragic passing last month. The revelation comes amid a wave of speculation that painted the 70-year-old’s death as the culmination of a hidden health battle, a narrative the family is determined to correct.
Chief Yemi Akinremi, the late actor’s elder sibling, sat down for an emotional interview aired on a popular Yoruba entertainment channel today, exactly one month after Chief Kanran’s untimely demise on August 15. “He wasn’t sick at all before his sudden death,” Chief Yemi asserted, his voice steady but laced with sorrow. “The night before, we spoke on the phone for hours – he was lively, strong, cracking jokes like always. High blood pressure? Yes, he managed that quietly for years, but nothing more. No bedridden days, no hidden ailments. It was just… gone in a blink.”
The family’s clarification echoes a similar statement from Chief Kanran’s niece earlier this month, who detailed the harrowing final moments: Alone at his Lagos home in the early morning hours, the actor – fresh off wrapping Femi Adebayo’s poignant film Seven Doors – rose to use the bathroom and suddenly slumped, succumbing before help could arrive. “He was alone, and that’s what breaks us most,” she had shared, quashing tales of prolonged suffering that had flooded social media in the wake of his death. Chief Yemi echoed this today, adding, “Speculation hurts more than the truth sometimes. He lived vibrantly till the end – that’s how he wanted to be remembered.”
Chief Kanran’s abrupt exit sent shockwaves through Nollywood, where he was a towering figure for over five decades. Born Olusegun Akinremi, the Ibadan native burst onto the scene in 1975 with stage plays like Ayanmo and Omo Oba, his booming voice and regal poise making him the go-to for wealthy, no-nonsense patriarch roles in Yoruba cinema. Off-screen, his love for luxury – from bespoke agbadas to a fleet of classic cars – mirrored his characters, earning him the affectionate moniker “The Chief” among peers. Tributes poured in from stars like Yemi Solade, who called him a “standard-bearer for professionalism,” and Femi Adebayo, who noted the eerie symbolism of Seven Doors becoming his final act: “Thresholds and transitions – who knew it would mirror his own?”
Just three weeks shy of his 70th birthday and the 55th anniversary of his stage debut – events he had excitedly planned – Chief Kanran’s death left a void. His burial on September 14 was a tear-soaked affair, with emotional scenes unfolding as family, friends, and fans gathered in Ibadan for the interment. “We buried a legend, but his stories live on,” Chief Yemi reflected, revealing plans for a posthumous documentary to archive his brother’s untold tales, from early hustles selling fabrics in Lagos markets to mentoring a generation of actors.
As Nollywood continues to mourn – with tributes still trending under #RIPChiefKanran – the family’s words serve as both eulogy and exhortation. “Celebrate the joy he brought, not the myths,” Chief Yemi urged. In an industry often plagued by health scares and unverified gossip, Chief Kanran’s story underscores a sobering reality: Even the mightiest voices can fall silent without warning. Yet, through reels of his iconic scenes resurfacing online, the Chief’s laughter echoes on, reminding us that true legends don’t fade – they just transition to the next act.