Yemi Remi, elder brother of the late veteran actor Segun ‘Chief Kanran’ Remi, has opened up about controversies surrounding his brother’s life and passing.
In a recent interview with Agbaletu TV, Yemi described Chief Kanran, who died in August at age 62, as “a lovable person” but admitted that his inability to be straightforward about his needs often caused misunderstandings. He dismissed rumours claiming his brother died from a house fire, explaining that the death occurred after a collapse in his bathroom while he was reportedly in good health.
Yemi, 70, blamed many false stories on his brother’s habit of exaggerating aspects of his life. “I want to beg people on his behalf. There was a time someone called to say his wife had died. I told them it wasn’t true. He had four wives and four children; three of the wives had passed, but his current wife was alive,” he said.
He also clarified other misconceptions, including claims about a burnt car and house. A vehicle his brother had received as a gift broke down on a trip from Ibadan, which was later misrepresented as being destroyed by fire. Similarly, a neighbouring apartment caught fire, not his house, and his escape from the scene was a stroke of luck.
Yemi said his brother’s on-screen typecasting as a “Chief” affected his real-life image. “I told him to be versatile and not live a make-believe life,” he recalled.
Yemi himself is an accomplished filmmaker, having trained under Hubert Ogunde, studied in Europe, and directed popular Nigerian television dramas including Tinsel and Face 2 Face.
This interview sheds light on both the private life and enduring legacy of Segun Remi, separating fact from myth in the wake of his passing.
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