Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has died at the age of 57 following a brief illness, his family has announced in a statement shared on his official Instagram page.
Born on July 27, 1969, to Nigerian parents from Imo State, Duru studied Theatre Arts at the University of Port Harcourt, graduating in 1996. He began his acting career in 1989 with Missing Mark but gained widespread recognition for his role as Ahanna in the 1995 film Rattlesnake, produced by the late Amaka Igwe.
Throughout his decades long career, Duru earned recognition for his contributions to Nigerian cinema, including the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) award at the 2020 Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in Mboputa. He was also named a United Nations ambassador of peace.
Duru was married to Adokiye in 2003, and they had four children together.
Credit: thenet.ng, Obaksolo
