Late Francis Duru’s Friend Recounts Painful Details Days Before His Death: “He Lost Himself”
- A Nigerian lady known as Ribaaku on X paid a heartfelt tribute to late Nollywood actor Francis Duru after news of his passing broke
- Ribaaku described Duru as one of the happiest people she had ever met, crediting him with helping advance her PhD thesis
- She shared that Duru underwent a visible change following the death of his son, from which he never recovered
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A close acquaintance of the late Nollywood actor Francis Duru has broken her silence about his passing, sharing a tribute that has moved many online and offered a rare personal window into the man behind the celebrated screen presence.
Source: UGC
The woman, who goes by the handle Ribaaku on X, wrote about Duru with the kind of intimacy that comes from genuine friendship, describing him as one of the most joyful and generous people she had encountered in her life.
The friend Francis Duru was off-screen
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Ribaaku portrayed the actor not simply as a star, but as a steadfast senior friend who invested in the people around him without expectation of anything in return.
She recalled how Duru stepped in to support her academic journey, personally providing contacts that helped her progress with her PhD thesis at a time when she needed guidance.
"He was my senior friend, and one of the happiest people you could meet: lively, humble, easygoing and brilliant. You always left his company having learned something, and he was ready to help at every turn," Ribaaku wrote in her post.
She added that time spent in his presence was never wasted, whether it produced a new lesson, a moment of laughter, or a connection that proved useful down the line.
A grief that changed everything
The most affecting part of Ribaaku's tribute centred on a loss Duru himself had endured.
She shared that the death of his son became a wound the actor could not move past, and that people close to him could see the shift in him clearly in the years that followed.
"After his son passed, he was never the same. Seeing how it all ended is deeply saddening," she wrote.
Ribaaku's post closed with a farewell and a prayer, asking God to comfort Francis Duru's family and loved ones through what she described as a deeply painful time.
The tribute drew significant attention online, with many users responding with their own expressions of grief and personal memories of the actor, whose work across decades of Nollywood productions left a lasting mark on Nigerian cinema.
Source: UGC
Netflix pays tribute to Francis Duru
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that global streaming giant Netflix has paid tribute to veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru following his death.
Duru’s family announced his death in a statement on his Instagram page on Friday, October 23, 2026. The National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Alhaji Abubakar Sanusi Yakubu, had earlier shared the sad news on Instagram.
Aged 57, the actor became a household name after playing Ahanna in the 1995 film Rattlesnake.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
