Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has died at the age of 57 following a brief illness, his family has announced.

The family disclosed his death in a statement posted on the actor’s official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday, expressing gratitude to fans, colleagues and well-wishers for their prayers and support.

“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 statement read.

The family did not disclose the nature of the illness or announce funeral arrangements as of the time of filing this report.

Duru’s death comes months after he dismissed reports that he was battling a life-threatening illness. In June, a video showing him looking frail circulated on social media, raising concerns among fans and colleagues.

The actor subsequently released a video on Instagram, describing the footage as “fabricated and malicious” and dismissing the claims about his health.

Early Life and Education

Born Francis Ogide Duru on July 27, 1969, in Cameroon to Nigerian parents from Imo State, the actor spent his formative years in the Central African country, where he completed his primary and secondary education.

He later returned to Nigeria to pursue his university education at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he studied Theatre Arts and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996.

His academic background in theatre helped lay the foundation for a career that spanned more than three decades, during which he established himself as one of Nollywood’s recognisable performers.

Rise to Fame in Nollywood

Duru began his acting career in 1989 with Missing Mark, a film directed by the late filmmaker Ndubuisi Oko.

However, his breakthrough came in 1995 when he played Ahanna in Rattlesnake, an action-comedy produced by the late filmmaker Amaka Igwe.

The film became a defining production in the history of Nollywood, and Duru’s performance helped bring him wider recognition among Nigerian audiences.

His portrayal of Ahanna remains one of the roles associated with his rise during the formative years of Nigeria’s home-video film industry.

Over the years, Duru demonstrated his versatility by featuring in films across different genres, including drama, crime, family stories and comedy. He worked alongside several established actors and filmmakers, building a reputation for his ability to interpret diverse roles.

Notable Movies

Throughout his career, Duru featured in numerous Nigerian films and productions. Some of his notable screen credits include:

• Missing Mark (1989)
• Rattlesnake (1995)
• Blood Money (1997)
• Narrow Escape (1999)
• Home in Exile (2010)
• Nnenda (2009)
• Stigma (2013)
• Mortuary Gate (2014)
• Lipstick (2016)
• Who Killed Chief? (2017)
• Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons (2018)
• Why Not? (2019)
• The Good Husband (2020)
• Mboputa (2020)
• The Locals (2021)
• Blood Vessel (2023)
• Abigail’s Memoir (2024)
• Ugly Bird (2024)

His extensive filmography reflected his ability to remain relevant across different generations of Nollywood productions, from the industry’s early video-film era to more recent cinematic releases.

Awards and Industry Contributions

Duru received several honours in recognition of his contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry.

In 2007, he was named a United Nations Ambassador of Peace in recognition of his positive influence on young people.

He was appointed interim president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) in 2010, reflecting his involvement in the affairs of the professional body representing Nigerian actors.

In the same year, he received a nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.

In 2020, he won the Best Actor in a Leading Role in an Igbo-language film category at the Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in Mboputa.

Beyond his acting career, Duru was also associated with humanitarian and youth-development initiatives, contributing to efforts aimed at improving the welfare and opportunities available to young people.

Family Life

Duru married his wife, Adokiye, in 2003, and they had four children together.

The family suffered a devastating loss in August 2024 when their son, Ifeanyi, died at the age of 15.

The actor publicly mourned his son at the time, attracting messages of sympathy and support from colleagues, fans and members of the entertainment community.

His death on Friday marks the loss of a veteran performer whose career connected different generations of Nigerian cinema.

With memorable roles in productions such as Rattlesnake, Blood Money and Mboputa, Duru leaves behind a body of work that reflects his contribution to the growth and development of Nollywood over more than three decades.

A seven-year-old boy, Abdullahi Rabi’u, has been found dead hours after suspected kidnappers abducted him in the Majema area, along Ring Road in Jos North Local Council of Plateau State and demanded a N2.5million ransom.

The boy was reportedly abducted on Monday evening after being sent on an errand to a neighbour’s house.

Narrating the incident, his uncle, Sukairaj Danladi Me Gado, said Abdullahi delivered the message but failed to return home, prompting the family to search for him.

He said their efforts to locate the boy proved unsuccessful until Tuesday morning, when the family received a call from an unidentified number.

According to him, the caller demanded N2.5million as ransom and informed the family that the boy had been kidnapped.

Me Gado said the family had agreed to pay the ransom in the hope of securing the child’s release.

However, their hopes were shattered later on Tuesday when they learnt that his body had been found in a narrow passage near their residence.

The discovery plunged the family and residents of the neighbourhood into mourning.

The grieving uncle expressed sorrow over the killing and alleged that the perpetrators might be familiar with the neighbourhood.

He called on security agencies to investigate the incident, apprehend those responsible and ensure they were brought to justice.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Plateau State Police Command were unsuccessful, as its spokesman, SP Alfred Alabo, did not respond to journalists’ inquiries as of press time. (Guardian)

…Says “We’ve delivered good governance to Enugu”

Governor of Enug State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has doubled down in his support for the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying it was undebatable and inconceivable for anyone to imagine a return to the old order.

Mbah spoke at the “Meet the Candidates” town hall meeting organised by Afia TV in Enugu on Wednesday, where he also said that his administration had delivered good governance to the people of the state across all sectors.

He described it as a pathetic misconception of the country’s situation and the direction it was headed for anyone to talk about the reintroduction of fuel subsidy.

“If you reintroduce fuel subsidy today, we will lose ten times whatever we are currently trying to gain in terms of the removal of subsidy. The poverty rate that you are going to experience will be very high because the naira would be automatically devalued.

“We cannot go back to subsidy. And I do not think it is in the interest of the country for us to even debate that.

“Again, we should not even debate it because we do not want to send a signal to prospective investors that we are contemplating it. That would take us back. It is going to create panic in the system. It is going to get investors to pull back.

“Those that are coming in today to invest in that sector will become jittery. So, it is not even a subject to debate. It is something that we have moved on from, and we should be thinking about how to ensure that the natural benefits cascade to the households, create jobs and generate wealth for our people,” he said.

He said the nation should focus on how to further encourage private capital to flow, noting the growth the nation had experienced in the stock exchange space.

He added that Tinubu’s policies had stabilised the macro indicators, thus encouraging foreign direct investment.

“You can see quite a lot of funds coming into our country, not just portfolio investments, but also direct investments. It is also going to strengthen because the macro indicators are right,” he stated.

Mbah maintained that whereas fuel subsidy removal enables the government to target the less privileged, fuel subsidy as earlier practised benefited the rich more.

“By the way, I do not think the subsidy we practised before the President removed it was even the right one for the country because even the people we were looking at benefiting from it were only insignificantly benefiting from it. It was largely beneficial to our wealthy folks.

“But now, you can almost notice that the government is doing that in targeting the poor, using proceeds from subsidy removal. The government is aggressive on cash transfers. There is also the programme where the government is targeting 1,000 persons per ward across the entire country to be able to provide seed capital for them to become productive,” he added.

Meanwhile, on his stewardship so far, Mbah said his administration had kept faith with the people of Enugu State, delivering good governance across all sectors in line with his campaign manifesto.

He said the people of the state only needed to imagine where the state was before his inauguration as governor and where it is currently headed.

“Let us imagine the Enugu we knew four years ago. Let us just imagine an Enugu without Hotel Presidential. Let us imagine an Enugu without the International Conference Centre. Let us imagine an Enugu without Enugu Air. Let us imagine Enugu without the transport terminals, the 268 Smart Green Schools, 260 Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres.

“You do not want them to imagine an Enugu without the International Hospital. You do not want them to imagine an Enugu without the CNG buses, the Nigergas. I think the list is endless.

“But I even think that we can stretch that imagination further because the work ahead will be more profound. Just imagine an Enugu where our children are receiving education that prepares them for the world because they have been imbued with evolving 21st-century skills. Imagine again an Enugu where you do not have any part of the city with an unpaved road.

“Also, imagine an Enugu in four years’ time that generates 660 megawatts of electricity; where we are able to provide 24-hour power supply; where you cannot come into your house and have the light off; and where people can run their businesses for a whole week without worrying about the cost of diesel. Just imagine an Enugu where you generate electricity and the people of Enugu are buying that at 120 naira because they own the coal that feeds the power plant.

“Imagine an Enugu where you now have to ride, not just on our CNG buses, but you have the monorail that can take you from point A to point B. Imagine an Enugu where you can fly from here to the United Kingdom, to the United States and other parts of the world,” he charged the electorate.

He urged the people to keep faith with the journey of greatness, growth and development, defending the gains of his first term and guaranteeing the promises of his second term by working for his re-election.

“If these imaginations capture our fancy, then we have a duty to fight for it. We do have a duty to continue to make sure that the bar does not come down and that the standard we have set in Enugu is sustained,” he concluded.