Yemi Remi, elder brother to the late veteran actor, Segun Remi, popularly known as Chief Kanran, has opened up on lingering controversies surrounding the actor’s life and passing.
In an interview with Agbaletu TV, Yemi described the Nollywood icon, who died in August, as “a lovable person,” but noted that his major flaw was an unwillingness to be truthful about his struggles, which often fuelled public misconceptions.
Dispelling widespread rumours, Yemi clarified that Chief Kanran did not die from injuries sustained in a house fire.
According to him, the late actor, aged 62, was “in good health” before his sudden death, which occurred after he reportedly slumped in his bathroom.
“He was 62, and he did not die from any fire incident. He reportedly collapsed in the bathroom,” Yemi said.
The 70-year-old elder brother said several unverified stories linked to the actor originated from Kanran himself.
He said, “I want to beg people on his behalf. There was a time someone called me to say that his wife had died. I told the person that it was a lie. His wife did not die.”
Yemi revealed that the actor had four wives and four children, adding, “Three of the wives died.”
He said Kanran often fabricated accounts of misfortune, including claims that his car and home were burnt.
He further stated, “There was a time when he started saying his car had been burnt, but it was a lie.
“We were returning from Ibadan one day after he was gifted money to buy a car, and the engine broke down. Yet he told people it got burnt.”
Yemi further stated that while there was indeed a fire incident, it did not occur in his brother’s apartment.
“His house also did not get burnt. It was another apartment close to his house. He had to jump the fence to escape,” he said.
Yemi suggested that Chief Kanran’s tendency to blur fiction with reality may have been tied to the stereotyped ‘Chief’ roles he constantly played on screen.
He said, “I told him to learn to be versatile. I told him he didn’t need to be a typecast. He lived a make-believe life, which I will never agree to.”
Beyond being the elder brother of the late actor, Yemi Remi has an illustrious record in film and theatre.
He began his artistic journey under the legendary Hubert Ogunde before studying at the Centre for Cultural Studies.
He later won scholarships for training in Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Yemi made significant contributions to the Nigerian television industry, serving as the pioneer director of the hit TV drama Tinsel and the beloved comic series Face 2 Face.