NIGERIAN Nollywood actor, Francis Duru, has passed on at the age of 57.
A post on his official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday, October 23, said he died following a brief illness.
The post read: “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.”
Recall that in June this year, Duru came out to deny viral reports claiming he was battling a life-threatening illness, following a footage showing him in a frail condition, raising concern among his fans, colleagues and indeed netizens.
However, the actor, in an Instagram video, described the footage as “fabricated and malicious.”
Born on July 27, 1969, in Cameroun, to parents of Nigerian origin from Imo State, Duru had his primary and secondary education in Cameroun before relocating to Nigeria to pursue a university degree at the University of Port Harcourt, earning a B.A. Theatre Arts in 1996.
Duru joined the Nigerian film industry in 1989 with a movie, ‘Missing Mark,’ directed by the late Ndubuisi Oko, but gained recognition in 1995 after appearing in ‘Rattlesnake,’ produced by the late Amaka Igwe, where he acted as Ahanna.
During his career, Duru received numerous awards and honours for his work, including a United Nations (UN) Ambassador of Peace in recognition of his positive influence on young people, and ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo)’ award at the Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in ‘Mboputa’ in 2020.
Married to Adokiye in 2003, and the couple lost one of their four children, Ifeanyi, in August 2024.
