Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has passed on. His death was announced on his Instagram page on Thursday, October 22, 2026. He was aged 57.
His photo was shared with the caption, “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 late movie star began his career in 1989 and starred in Missing Mark. He also played Ahanna in Rattlesnake, the 1995 blockbuster movie that was produced by the late Amaka Igwe.
Duru was a graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He served as an interim president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria in 2010. In 2020, he won the Best Actor in a Lead Role (Igbo) at the Best of Nollywood Awards for his role in the movie Mboputa.
In 2024, he lost his 15 year old son Ifeanyi which left his family in a state of mourning. Recently, he featured in several projects including that of Uche Mbunabo TV.
The deceased gave three decades of his life to the movie industry and his death was greeted with shock from his fans in the country.
