Nollywood actor Francis Duru, aged 56, has denied claims that he is seriously ill, after a video showing him in a frail state circulated widely on social media.
The clip, which began spreading earlier this week, alarmed many of his fans, friends and colleagues, with some reaching out to him directly to find out if the reports were true.
Duru addressed the matter in a video posted to his Instagram page on Friday, 19 June 2026. He said the footage did not show his actual health and accused those behind it of acting in bad faith.
“I am making this video with regard to very wicked videos circulating around about me being sick to the level that you could see in that video,” he said. “Well, I have never been that sick and will never be that sick. And by God’s grace, we keep being stronger and stronger.”
He went further, describing the people responsible for the video as “merchants of darkness,” and said their goal was to generate traffic rather than report the truth.
“That video is a handiwork of merchants of darkness, of wickedness, people who sit and concoct negativity for people,” he said. “You just don’t want to see people rise. You just don’t believe in people’s success, all in the course of driving traffic.”
The actor also raised concerns about the role of manipulated or artificially generated (AI) content in spreading false information, warning that such tools could be used to damage people’s reputations.
“And if this is what social media is all about or AI, then we are in big trouble indeed,” he said.
Duru explained that the rumours had frightened some of the people close to him, with several contacting him out of genuine worry rather than mere curiosity.
“Please, my friends who have been embarrassed, scared, even to call me, and those who just call for calling sake, just to know whether it is true, well, this is me,” he said. “This is just to let you guys know that this is me talking to you. Anything beyond this is their business.”
Reactions to the video were largely sympathetic, with many fans praying for him and condemning whoever started the rumour. A smaller number of fans, however, noted that he appeared to have lost weight compared to past appearances, and urged him to take care of his health regardless.
Duru, who married his wife, Adokiye, in 2003, lost his teenage son, Ifeanyi, in August 2024.
A similar rumour recently affected veteran actor Olaiya Igwe, born Ebun Oloyede, who was falsely reported to have died. Igwe later confirmed he had undergone kidney stone surgery at a hospital in Ibadan and was recovering in Lagos.
