Veteran Nollywood actor, Francis Duru, has passed away at the age of 57.
His family announced the news on his official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday, revealing that he died following a brief illness.
“We, the family of Francis Duru, regret to announce his passing following a brief illness,” the post reads.
“We appreciate your prayers, love, and understanding. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen,” the family added.
In June, the actor had denied viral reports claiming he was battling a life-threatening illness after footage showing him in a frail condition circulated widely on social media.
In response, Duru shared an Instagram video describing the footage as “fabricated and malicious”.
Duru was born on July 27, 1969, in Cameroon, to parents of Nigerian origin from Imo State. He completed his primary and secondary education in Cameroon before relocating to Nigeria for his university education.
He gained admission to the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, where he studied Theatre Arts and earned a B.A. degree in 1996.
Duru made his entry into the Nigerian film industry in 1989 with a movie titled ‘Missing Mark,’ directed by the late Ndubuisi Oko.
He gained greater recognition in 1995 after appearing in ‘Rattlesnake,’ an action-comedy produced by the late Amaka Igwe, where he played the character Ahanna.
Over the course of his career, Duru received numerous awards and honours. He was named a United Nations Ambassador of Peace in recognition of his positive influence on young people. In 2020, he won the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) award at the Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in ‘Mboputa’.
Duru married his wife Adokiye in 2003, and the couple had four children together. They lost one of their children, Ifeanyi, in August 2024.