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By Zika Bobby
A United States-based lawyer, Owolabi Salis, has narrated his last minute effort to save the life of Kehinde Olusegun Akinremi, the renowned Nollywood actor, whose demise was announced a few days ago.
Narrating his last moment encounter with the departed celebrity, popularly known as “Chief Karan,” Salis recalled that on July 11, 2025, the Nollywood star sent a voice note, notifying him that he wanted to celebrate both his 70th birthday anniversary and 55 years on stage.
“On July 27, he sent two voice notes that he was severely plagued by appendicitis, which had subjected him to intensely unbearable pains, and would, therefore, need to under-go an urgent medical operation, that would cost N700,000 and that he needed N350,000 to balance the hospital bill.
“On the same July 27, I immediately dispatched N350,000 to him as requested. On July 28, he sent a voice note of appreciation, thanking me for my timely kind assistance.
“On August 1, he sent another voice note of appreciation. The announcement of his sudden death barely three days later, got me completely swept off my feet in inexpressible shock from which I am yet to recover,” he added.
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Lamenting, he revealed that, “on learning about the sad news of his death, I had promptly dispatched a sum of money on August 18, as my token assistance for his burial.”
He called on Nollywood and the government, including well-meaning Nigerians, corporate bodies and notable institutions across the nation to make fervent efforts to immortalise the theatre legend.
He described his exit not only as the passing of an era, but also “shocking, lamentable and devastating.
“To worsen the pain was the fact that this man died at the threshold of his 70th birthday, a very significant milestone of existence that everyone had often looked forward to.”
He remarked that his death was one tragedy too many, a very sad loss, and indeed, the last thing he expected to hear.
