Actor Junior Pope was killed in a boat accident on the River Niger on Wednesday afternoon. The Anambra state police announced that they have started an inquiry into the incident. Tochukwu Ikenga, a police spokesman, also expressed sincere regrets for the event while extending the commiserations of Commissioner of Police Aderemi Adeoye to the families of the deceased. He continued by saying that as soon as the situation was made known to her, the command made every effort to guarantee the actors’ safety. According to Ikenga, the vessel was one of two that transported the crew to a filming site in Anambra West LGA, Anambra State, and it was headed back to Asaba, the point of departure, at the time of the incident.
“On being notified of the capsize, Anambra Command Marine Police deployed for rescue operations and successfully rescued six actors and one actress from the water,” Ikenga said.
“Two others who were unconscious were also pulled out with the aid of fishermen and conveyed to the Delta State Command Marine Police Jetty where other members of the crew who travelled in the first boat were waiting and handed over to the President of the Actors Guild for conveyance to the hospital while the rescue team went back in search of three others who are still missing as at the time of this release.”
He went on to say that even though the Anambra State Command was in charge of the accident, Delta State Police Command was supposed to manage matters pertaining to the release of the accident victims’ bodies so they could be given a respectable burial. He sent the family, friends, and fans of the actors who perished in the boat accident the condolences of Commissioner of Police Adeoye and prayed to Almighty God to grant their souls a beautiful slumber. Ikenga stated that preliminary inquiry has provided information regarding the accident’s cause. He also stated that the Commissioner of Police has ordered a thorough investigation to ascertain whether any individual is criminally liable for the accident.
The actors’ deaths, including those of Obumneme Odonwodo, also known as Junior Pope, were met with shock when their boat overturned on the River Niger. More than 150 Nollywood films, including Bachelor Eve, Vengeance of Bullet, Bitter Generation, The Generals, Wrong Initiation, The Cat, Nkwocha, and Secret Adventure, have featured Junior Pope since he started his acting career in 2006. In 2014, he was married to Jennifer Awele, and the two of them are blessed with three kids.
