By Melisa Munzvandi
Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has died aged 57, his family confirmed on Friday.
The family announced his death in a statement posted on his official Instagram page in the early hours of the morning, saying he died following a brief illness.
“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,” the statement read.
The death was also confirmed by the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) president, Abubakar Sanusi Yakubu.
Duru, born on 27 July 1969 in Cameroon to Nigerian parents from Imo State, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from the University of Port Harcourt in 1996.
He made his film debut in 1989 in Missing Mark and shot to prominence as Ahanna in the 1995 classic Rattlesnake produced by the late Amaka Igwe.
With a career spanning over three decades, he starred in Blood Money (1997), Stigma (2013) and Mboputa (2020), for which he won Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) at the Best of Nollywood Awards. In 2007 he was honoured as a United Nations Ambassador of Peace.
In 2010 he served as interim president of the AGN.
His death comes months after he publicly dismissed viral videos in June that claimed he was critically ill.
He is survived by his wife, Adokiye, and his children.