Francis Duru, a seasoned Nollywood actor, has issued a video statement vehemently disputing a widely shared film that wrongly claimed he was seriously ill.

Speaking directly to his audience to demonstrate his well-being, Duru rejected the video as a completely made-up health fear created by nefarious people to increase social media traffic.

“I am making this video with regards to very wicked videos circulating around about me being sick to the level that you could see in that video,” Duru stated.

“Well, I have never been that sick and will never be that sick.”

Duru described the content producers behind the hoax as “merchants of darkness” who use hate as a weapon to increase internet engagement, expressing his intense dissatisfaction with them.

He expressed grave concerns about the manipulation of contemporary instruments and the current situation of digital media.

“That video is a handiwork of merchants of darkness, of wickedness, people who sit and concoct negativity for people,” Duru said.