Nollywood actor Francis Duru dies at 57
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The veteran actor, best known for the 1995 film Rattlesnake, died after a brief illness, his family said on Friday.
Nigerian film star Francis Duru has died at the age of 57, according to a report by Vanguard distributed by AllAfrica on 23 October 2026.
His family announced the death in a statement on Instagram in the early hours of Friday. They said he died after "a brief illness" and thanked fans and well-wishers for their prayers and support. No specific cause has been given. In June, the actor had dismissed online footage claiming he was seriously ill as false, the report notes.
Duru was born on 27 July 1969 in Cameroon to Nigerian parents from Imo State. He began acting in 1989 and became widely known for playing Ahanna in the 1995 film Rattlesnake, produced by the late Amaka Igwe. His other titles include Blood Money (1997), Stigma (2013) and Mboputa (2020).
He won Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) at the 2020 Best of Nollywood Awards for Mboputa, received a United Nations Ambassador of Peace award in 2007, and served as interim president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria in 2010, the same year he was nominated at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Duru studied Theatre Arts at the University of Port Harcourt. He is survived by his wife, Adokiye, and their children.