Nollywood mourns as Nigerian actor Francis Duru dies at 57 on October 23

Nigerian actor Francis Duru has died at 57 following a short illness, according to a statement his family posted on his official Instagram account on October 23, 2026. Born in Cameroon to Nigerian parents, he began his acting career in 1989 in Missing Mark and became known for playing Ahanna in Rattlesnake. He was named a United Nations Peace Ambassador and won the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) award at the 2020 Best of Nollywood Awards for Mboput.