United States–based Nigerian lawyer and polar explorer, Owolabi Salis, has revealed his final moments of contact with late Nollywood veteran, Olusegun Akinremi, popularly known as Chief Kanran, before his death.
Salis, who is fondly called Oba Mekunu for his philanthropic works, said in a statement on Tuesday that the late actor reached out to him on July 27, 2025, pleading for financial help to undergo surgery for appendicitis.
According to him, Kanran, who would have turned 70 this year and marked 55 years on stage, told him he needed N700,000 for the operation but had only been able to raise half of the amount.
“On the same July 27, I immediately dispatched a sum of N350,000 to him as requested. On July 28, he sent a voice note of appreciation thanking me for my timely assistance. On August 1, he sent another message of gratitude. Barely three days later, news of his death broke, and I was left in shock,” Salis said.
The Ikorodu-born lawyer, who in 2019 contested the Lagos governorship under the Alliance for Democracy, described Kanran’s death as “shocking, lamentable and devastating.”
He said he had since sent money to support the burial of the actor, while urging Nollywood, government and well-meaning Nigerians to immortalise the late theatre icon.
“Chief Kanran was a prodigy who bestrode the thespian space like a colossus. His passing is not only the end of an era but a painful tragedy,” Salis added.
He recalled Kanran’s iconic performance as Alaafin Kanran, which earned him his popular stage name and won the admiration of the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
Salis, who holds the record as the first Black man to visit both the North and South Poles in one season, lamented that Kanran’s later years were filled with hardship, including the loss of his wives, cars, studio and home to fire.
He noted that the veteran resorted to living in a church and battling health challenges without adequate support, which, according to him, reflects how poorly the Nigerian entertainment industry treats its legends.
He called on Nollywood practitioners to unite and demand better welfare from government and institutions, warning that neglecting veterans would discourage creativity in the sector.
