Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has died at the age of 57 following a brief illness, his family has announced.
The family announced his death in a statement posted on the actor’s official Instagram page, thanking fans and well-wishers for their prayers and support.
“We, the family of Francis Duru, regret to announce his passing following a brief illness,” the statement read.
“We appreciate your prayers, love, and understanding. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.”
Duru’s death comes months after he dismissed reports that he was battling a life-threatening illness.
Concern spread among fans and colleagues after a video showing the actor looking frail circulated on social media.
However, Duru responded by sharing a video on Instagram in which he described the footage as “fabricated and malicious”.
Born on 27 July 1969 in Cameroon to Nigerian parents from Imo State, Duru completed his primary and secondary education there before moving to Nigeria for university studies.
He studied Theatre Arts at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996.
Duru began his acting career in 1989 with Missing Mark, a film directed by the late Ndubuisi Oko.
He gained wider recognition in 1995 after playing Ahanna in Rattlesnake, an action-comedy produced by the late filmmaker Amaka Igwe.
Over the years, Duru received several awards and honours for his contributions to the Nigerian film industry. He was also named a United Nations ambassador of peace in recognition of his influence on young people.
Six years ago, he won the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) award at the Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in Mboputa.
Duru was married to Adokiye, and they had four children together. The family lost one of their children, Ifeanyi, two years ago.
