Francis Duru Dies: Man Who Was at Hospital With Actor Days before His Death Shares What He Told Him

Elder Henry Shield visited the ailing Nollywood star twice after a direct call from Duru's wife about his conditionShield's emotional Facebook tribute, shared the day after Duru's passing, drew an outpouring of condolences onlineFrancis Duru passed away on October 22, 2026, aged 57, following a brief illness that shocked Nigeria's film communityGhana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!

In the final days of veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru's life, a close friend sat beside his hospital bed and urged him to hold on.

That friend, Elder Henry Shield, has now shared the details of those visits publicly, prompting an emotional response from thousands across social media.

Shield disclosed in a Facebook post on October 23, 2026, that he had visited Duru at the National Hospital on two separate occasions after the actor's wife reached out to him personally to share the gravity of the situation.

Francis Duru: Man who was with the actor hours before his death speaks out

Addressing Duru as his "dear elder brother," Shield closed his tribute with a line in Igbo: "Ko di ngbe anyi ga afu ozo," which translates to "Till we meet again."

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Francis Duru, a filmmaker and actor whose career spanned several decades in the Nigerian film industry, died on October 22, 2026.

He was 57 years old. His family announced his passing the following morning through a statement on his verified Instagram account. He had been battling a brief illness.

News of his death reverberated across Nigeria's entertainment world. President Bola Tinubu was among the prominent figures who mourned the loss, with colleagues from across the creative industry describing Duru's passing as a profound blow to Nigerian cinema.

Shield's tribute quickly attracted responses from those who knew and admired both men.

“He was never the same”: Francis Duru’s video from days before his death resurfaces

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Jeffrey Owusu-Mensah (HOD Entertainment) Jeffrey is the Head of the Entertainment Desk and a graduate of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) with over 15 years of experience in journalism. He started as a reporter with Ghana News Agency (GNA). He joined Primnewsghana.com in 2016 as an editor. He moved to YEN.com.gh in 2017 as an editor and has risen to his current position. You can contact him via e-mail: j.owusu-mensah@yen.com.gh