Nollywood actor Francis Duru dies at 57

Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has died at the age of 57 following a brief illness.

His family announced his death in a statement posted on his official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday, expressing appreciation to fans and well-wishers for their support.

“We, the family of Francis Duru, regret to announce his passing following a brief illness.

“We appreciate your prayers, love, and understanding. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen,” the statement read.

President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Abubakar Yakubu, also announced the actor’s death in an Instagram post.

“Another great thespian gone….Rest in peace Francis Duru!!” Yakubu wrote.

Duru’s death comes months after he dismissed reports that he was battling a life-threatening illness.

In June, a video showing the actor looking frail circulated on social media, prompting concern among fans and colleagues.

Responding to the reports, Duru shared a video on Instagram in which he described the footage as “fabricated and malicious”.

“My dear fans, greetings to you all, thank you all for always being there for me with your prayers and your wishes. As you all know, I wish you all the same. I’m making this video in regard to a very wicked video circulating about me being sick to that very level you can see in the video.

“I have never been that sick and would never be that sick. And by God’s grace, I will keep being stronger and stronger.

“That video is the handiwork of the merchant of darkness, wickedness, those who sit and conjure negativity for people. They just don’t want to see people rise or believe in people’s success all in the course of driving traffic. This is just to let you people know that this is me talking to you. Anything beyond this is their business. Thank you so much for your concerns. I love you all,” the actor said.

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