Family Announces Nollywood Actor Francis Duru’s Death at 57

The family of Nigerian actor Francis Duru announced his death at 57 in a statement posted on his official Instagram account early Friday, October 23. The statement attributed his death to a brief illness and thanked supporters for their prayers, love and understanding. Born in Cameroon to Nigerian parents from Imo State, Duru became widely known for playing Ahanna in Amaka Igwe’s 1995 film Rattlesnake. He studied Theatre Arts at the University of Port Harcourt, graduating in 1996, and won Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) at the 2020 Best of Nollywood Awards for Mboputa.