Nollywood star and filmmaker, Femi Adebayo Salami, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of veteran actor Olusegun Akinremi, popularly known as Chief Kanran.
The legendary thespian died on Friday, August 15, at the age of 69, just three weeks before what would have been his 70th birthday.
Taking to his Instagram page, Femi Adebayo shared an emotional tribute that captured both his shock and his admiration for the late actor.
According to him, the loss was particularly difficult to process because Chief Kanran had only just wrapped up work on one of his productions.
Sharing photos of the deceased from the movie scenes, Femi Adebayo wrote:
“Still struggling to come to terms with the sudden passing of Chief Segun Kehinde Akinremi @chiefkanran. This loss is particularly overwhelming, as he had only just concluded his last acting performance on one of my projects. May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings, grant him eternal rest in Aljannah Firdaus, be with his family, and give them the strength to carry through this loss. Rest well, sir.”
Chief Kanran, born Olusegun Akinremi, had a distinguished career in Nollywood spanning several decades. He was widely admired for his versatility, moving seamlessly between comedic and dramatic roles. His powerful stage presence and ability to bring authenticity to his characters earned him multiple awards and a loyal following among movie lovers.
Sources close to the family confirmed that he passed away after a brief illness and was pronounced dead by medical experts on Friday. His death came as a shock, not only because of his relatively active presence in recent projects, but also because preparations were reportedly underway for his 70th birthday celebrations.
Over the years, Chief Kanran became a fixture in both Yoruba and English-language films, often portraying roles that highlighted Nigerian culture, values and social issues.
