Nollywood actor Francis Duru dies

Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has died at 57.

His family announced his death in a statement posted on his Instagram page on Friday but didn’t disclose when he died or the cause of his death.

The family also did not provide details about the actor’s burial arrangements. They thanked his fans for their prayers, love and support.

“We, the family of Francis Duru, regret to announce his passing following a brief illness. We appreciate your prayers, love, and understanding. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen”, the family said.

Great thespian

The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) confirmed Duru’s death in an Instagram post published alongside its president, Abubakar Yakubu, in the early hours of Friday. 

The guild described the actor’s passing as the exit of a great thespian.

“Another great thespian gone, rest in peace, Francis Duru”, AGN wrote.

Seun Oloketuyi, founder of Best of Nollywood (BON), also confirmed the news.

Before death

Duru died months after he pushed back against reports of him being critically ill and described the claims as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.

In June, he condemned the videos as a wicked narrative and accused those behind them of inventing stories about his health.

He insisted that he had never been in the condition portrayed in the clips and criticised those who circulated the content for creating a false picture of his wellbeing.

Duru also expressed outrage over the misuse of artificial intelligence to manipulate images and videos of public figures. He accused some people of exploiting technology to manufacture falsehoods, misrepresent people’s lives and destroy their reputations.

He warned that those responsible for the fabricated content would eventually face consequences, calling them “merchants of wickedness”.

The actor urged the public not to fall for the claims, insisting that he remained healthy and active at the time.

Career

Duru was born in Cameroon to Nigerian parents from Imo State. He completed his primary and secondary education there before returning to Nigeria to study Theatre Arts at the University of Port Harcourt, where he earned a bachelor’s degree.

Duru began his career in 1989 with “Missing Mark”, directed by the late Ndubuisi Oko. Despite the early start, the film failed to bring him the recognition he sought, leaving him largely an up-and-coming actor at the time.

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His breakthrough came in 1995 when he played Ahanna in “Rattlesnake”, an action comedy produced by the late Amaka Igwe. The performance brought him greater prominence in the industry.

Since then, he has featured in several films such as “Ugly Bird”, “Abigail’s Memoir”, “Blood Vessel”, “The Locals”, “The Good Husband”, “Mboputa”, “Why Not?”, “Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons”, “Who Killed Chief?”, “Lipstick”, “Mortuary Gate”, “Stigma”, “Home in Exile”, “Nnenda”, among others.

Duru married Adokiye in 2003 after they met as undergraduates at the University of Port Harcourt. They had four children, but the family suffered a devastating loss in August 2024 when their 15-year-old son, Ifeanyi, died.

In 2007, he received the United Nations Ambassador of Peace award for his positive influence on the youth.

In 2010, Duru was appointed interim president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and, that same year, was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.