Entertainment · Indian Cinema · 8 hrs ago
Nollywood actor Francis Duru dies at 57 after brief illness
Nigerian actor Francis Duru has died at 57, his family announced on Friday.
The family said he died after a brief illness and thanked people for their support.
Duru was a familiar face in Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry, where he worked for more than 30 years.
Born in Cameroon to Nigerian parents, he studied Theatre Arts at the University of Port Harcourt and graduated in 1996.
His breakthrough came with Rattlesnake in 1995, in which he played Ahanna.
He appeared in many other films and also worked as a director, producer and writer.
Duru won a leading actor award in 2020 for his performance in Mboputa, and his death marks the loss of a long-serving figure in Nigerian entertainment.
Nigerian actor Francis Duru has died at the age of 57 after a brief illness, his family announced.
The family shared the news on his official Instagram account in the early hours of Friday, 23 October 2026.
Duru became widely known for playing Ahanna in the 1995 film Rattlesnake.
He began his film career in 1989 and graduated in Theatre Arts from the University of Port Harcourt in 1996.
He is survived by his wife, Adokiye, and three children; the family lost a son, Ifeanyi, in August 2024.
- Who
- Francis Duru, a Nigerian actor.
- What
- He died at 57 after a brief illness, his family said.
- When
- His family announced his death in the early hours of Friday, 23 October 2026.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- The family said he died following a brief illness.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Duru began his film career with Missing Mark.
He gained wider recognition for playing Ahanna in Rattlesnake.
He graduated from the University of Port Harcourt with a degree in Theatre Arts.
Duru’s family lost their son Ifeanyi.
His family announced his death on his official Instagram account.
- Age at death
- 57
- Cause reported by family
- Brief illness
- Breakthrough film
- Rattlesnake (1995)
- First film
- Missing Mark (1989)
- University
- University of Port Harcourt
- Family
- Wife Adokiye and four children; one child, Ifeanyi, died in August 2024
3 sources
What people are saying
We, di family of Francis Duru, regret to announce im passing following a brief illness.
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