Today’s Headlines: Nollywood Actor Francis Duru Dies at 57; FG Accuses Firms of Stealing 150MW Daily

Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has died at the age of 57 following a brief illness, his family announced in a statement posted on his official Instagram page on Friday. He is survived by his wife, Adokiye, and children. Born on 27 July 1969 in Cameroon to Nigerian parents from Imo State, Duru began his acting career in 1989 and gained widespread recognition for playing Ahanna in the 1995 film Rattlesnake.

Duru featured in several Nigerian films, including Blood Money (1997), Stigma (2013) and Mboputa (2020), for which he won the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) award at the 2020 Best of Nollywood Awards. He also received the United Nations Ambassador of Peace award in 2007 and served as interim president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria in 2010. His death comes months after he dismissed online reports claiming he was battling a life-threatening illness.

The Federal Government has accused some companies in Lagos State of illegally connecting their factories directly to the national electricity grid, allegedly taking up to 150 megawatts of power daily without the consent of distribution companies. Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the government would pursue the firms and recover outstanding charges as part of efforts to reduce electricity losses and improve supply. He also revealed that development finance institutions had committed about $18bn to Nigeria’s power sector, but criticised the allocation of investments based on political patronage rather than priority needs.

Tegbe said the government had begun a nationwide technical audit to identify faults in electricity infrastructure, much of which is ageing, and was building a new National Control Centre to replace the existing facility in Osogbo. He added that measures to isolate Lagos and Abuja from disruptions elsewhere on the grid had improved stability. The government is also developing the Grid Asset Management Company and Renewable Asset Management Company to consolidate infrastructure assets, address legacy debts and attract investment, with presidential approval already secured for the renewable assets company.

An officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Assistant Superintendent of Corps Usman Isah Ndamaka, has admitted failing to open an overcrowded detention cell despite hearing cries from detainees before 37 suspected illegal miners died in custody in Niger State. Testifying before a judicial commission of enquiry in Minna, he said he feared the detainees might overpower him and apologised to the bereaved families and the state government. He disclosed that 58 suspects, comprising 33 males and 25 females, had been brought to a facility designed to accommodate only 28 to 30 people.

The commission is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths on 17 September 2026 and whether negligence or misconduct contributed to the tragedy. NSCDC investigation personnel have also acknowledged shortcomings in handling the case, while a pathologist told the panel that post-mortem examinations and laboratory analyses were necessary to establish the cause of death. Toxicology and histology samples are expected to be sent to a forensic laboratory in Lagos, subject to the required approvals and family consent.

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to contain Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case by quarantining high-risk contacts, monitoring other exposed individuals and strengthening surveillance at airports, hospitals and across states. Health Minister, Professor Ali Pate, said the patient was showing significant signs of recovery, with no evidence of community transmission so far. Aviation authorities have restricted 46 contacts from air travel, while the government urged Nigerians to remain calm and avoid spreading misinformation.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for full disclosure of the patient’s travel history to establish where she contracted the virus, while warning that no approved vaccine is currently available for the Bundibugyo strain. Virologist Professor Oyewale Tomori urged the government to provide transparent information about the case. Meanwhile, Abia, Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states have strengthened disease surveillance, prepared isolation facilities and placed health workers on alert.

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