Veteran Nigerian actor, Francis Duru, has died at the age of 57.

The actor’s family announced the news of his passing on his official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday, revealing that he died following a brief illness.

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

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

Earlier in June, the actor denied viral reports claiming he was battling a life-threatening illness.

The rumours gained traction after footage showing him in a frail condition circulated widely on social media, raising concern among fans and colleagues.

In response, Duru shared an Instagram video describing the footage as “fabricated and malicious”.

Duru was born on July 27, 1969, in Cameroon, to parents of Nigerian origin from Imo state. He completed his primary and secondary education in Cameroon before relocating to Nigeria to pursue a university degree.

He gained admission to the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers state, where he studied Theatre Arts and earned a B.A. degree in 1996.

He made his entry into the Nigerian film industry in 1989 with a movie titled ‘Missing Mark,’ directed by the late Ndubuisi Oko.

His appearance in the film did little to advance his career at the time, as he was still considered an up-and-coming actor.

He gained greater recognition in the industry in 1995 after appearing in ‘Rattlesnake,’ an action-comedy produced by the late Amaka Igwe. Duru played a notable role in the film as the character Ahanna.

Over the course of his career, Duru received numerous awards and honours for his work. He was named a United Nations ambassador of peace in recognition of his positive influence on young people. In 2020, he won the :Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo)’ award at the Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in ‘Mboputa’.

Duru married his wife Adokiye in 2003, and the couple had four children together. They lost Ifeanyi, one of their children, in August 2024.

Family, friends and colleagues gathered for the funeral service of veteran actor Olu Jacobs on Friday, as his remains were laid to rest at the This Present House Church, Lekki, Lagos.

The service was witnessed by members of the entertainment industry and other dignitaries, who came to pay their last respects to the late thespian.

Among those who paid their respect was entertainment entrepreneur, Darey Art Alade, who performed his hit song Pray For Me, featuring Olu Jacobs and his wife, veteran actress Joke Silva.

The actor’s son, Olugbenga Jacobs, also presented his father’s biography during the funeral proceedings.

The burial follows a Night of Tributes held on Wednesday at Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos Island, where Nollywood stars and well-wishers gathered to honour the late icon.

Jacobs died on September 16, 2026, at the age of 84.

It was a moment of excitement and celebration in Lagos on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, as popular Nollywood actor, Lateef Adedimeji, personally presented prizes to the first 10 winners of the recently concluded Lateef Adedimeji (Baba Eta) Challenge on DusDus.

The presentation, which took place at the DusDus office in Lagos, brought together the winners, representatives of the platform and the award-winning actor, who appeared delighted to personally celebrate participants who distinguished themselves in the challenge.

Coker Oluwarantimi who came first in the challenge received cheque of 1million naira while Ajewole Ayomide and others received 200,000 naira each.

The Baba Eta Challenge, which leveraged Adedimeji’s popularity and his much-loved “Baba Eta” persona, provided fans and followers with an opportunity to participate in a fun-filled digital campaign while competing for prizes.

For the winners, meeting the actor in person added an extra layer of excitement to what had already been an engaging experience.

Rather than simply having the prizes distributed on his behalf, the actor chose to personally hand them over to the first 10 winners, turning the presentation into an intimate celebration of creativity, participation and the growing relationship between entertainers and their digital audiences.

Adedimeji’s collaboration with DusDus further highlights the evolving relationship between entertainment personalities and digital platforms, where challenges, audience participation and creator-led campaigns are increasingly becoming powerful tools for engagement.

The prize presentation also underscored the importance of recognising audience participation in digital campaigns. For the winners, what began as a social-media challenge culminated in a face-to-face encounter with one of Nollywood’s popular faces.

With Adedimeji personally presenting the prizes, the Baba Eta Challenge ended not merely as another online campaign, but as a memorable experience for its first set of winners.

DusDus is an entertainment and creators contest app that empowers young Nigerian content creators to create, share and win rewards for their video posts in a variety of engaging challenges. It is available for free downloads on playstore and Applestore.