Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has died at the age of 57, months after dismissing reports that he was battling a life-threatening illness.
His family announced his death on his official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday, saying he passed away after a brief illness.
“We, the family of Francis Duru, regret to announce his passing following a brief illness,” the family said.
“We appreciate your prayers, love, and understanding. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.”
Duru’s death has drawn attention to concerns about his health earlier in the year, when a video showing him looking frail circulated on social media.
In June, the actor dismissed speculation about his condition, describing the footage as “fabricated and malicious” in a video shared on Instagram.
The President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Abubakar Yakubu, also mourned the actor in a Facebook post on Friday.
“Another great thespian is gone. Rest in peace, Francis Duru,” Yakubu wrote.
Seun Oloketuyi, founder of the Best of Nollywood Awards, also confirmed the actor’s death in a social media post.
Born on July 27, 1969, in Cameroon to Nigerian parents from Imo State, Duru began his acting career in 1989 with Missing Mark, directed by the late filmmaker Ndubuisi Oko.
He became widely recognised in 1995 for his role as Ahanna in Rattlesnake, an action-comedy produced by the late filmmaker Amaka Igwe.
Duru studied Theatre Arts at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996.
Over the course of his career, he featured in numerous films and received several honours for his contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry.
In 2020, he won the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) award at the Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in Mboputa.
He also served as interim president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria in 2010 and was named a United Nations ambassador of peace.
Duru married his wife, Adokiye, in 2003, and they had four children. The family suffered a major loss in August 2024 when their son, Ifeanyi, died at the age of 15.
Speaking about coping with his son’s death, Duru had previously said he continued working despite the emotional pain.
“The Saturday they buried my son, on Sunday I was in church doing what? Doing what I am supposed to do,” he said.
He added that, beyond acting, he was involved in theatre, consultancy and academic pursuits.
Duru’s death marks the loss of a veteran performer whose career spanned more than three decades in Nigeria’s film industry.
