Police Urged To Interrogate Producer Of Movie Production Where Junior Pope Died In Boat Mishap.

Reactions have continued to follow the tragic death of superstar actor JohnPaul Obumneme Odowondo, also known as Junior Pope, who died on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, while returning from a remote filming location on a speed boat along the coast of the River Niger.

A viral video shot by the late actor himself while on board sail that fateful day shows him warning the boat captain to slow down and concentrate to avoid mishaps. That he has three children (3 boys) to care for and watch grow into adults in his lifetime.

In the video, Junior Pope also stated that he was crossing the River Niger in a boat without a life jacket, and that the world could see the level of risk they took just to entertain them. Not too long after he made the video, the recalcitrant boat captain colluded with a fisherman’s boat and all passengers on board drowned as boat capsized.

According to online reports, Tochukwu Okafor, another upcoming star actor who was one of the victims of the boat mishap, said he narrowly escaped death because none of the actors or crew members, except the producer and director, wore life jackets.

Although recent reports have it that Emeka Rollas, the president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has banned movie productions in coastal areas after confirming the death of Junior Pope; there was need for the Anambra State Police Command to arrest and interrogate the Producer and Executive Producer over the non-use of lifejackets by their artistes and crew, as confirmed by the late Junior Pope and TC Okafor, who narrowly escaped death during the catastrophic boat accident.

Furthermore, the late actor’s remains have sparked a series of controversies, with social media stories revealing that the Anam community in Anambra-West is demanding that Junior Pope’s body be buried inside the Anam River where he died, or that his family pay the community N40 million to bury him in his Ukehe country home in Enugu State.

Reports say the reason Anam community insisted Junior Pope be buried inside the Anam River was because he died in the River and his body belonged to the goddess of the River. That anything on the contrary would amount to dire spiritual consequences.

Meanwhile, the Anambra State Police Command had commiserated with the families of the victims of the catastrophic boat mishap.

A statement from the Police Public Relations Officer of the command SP Tochukwu Ikenga reads, ” The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Aderemi Adeoye, has extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of actors who lost their lives as a result of a Boat Accident which occured on the River Niger in the afternoon of Wednesday, 10th April, 2024.

The boat, one of two that conveyed the crew to a film location in Anambra West LGA of Anambra State, was returning to Asaba, where it took off from when the accident happened.

Anambra Command Marine Police responded to the capsize and successfully rescued six actors and one actress from the water.

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.

Although the accident happened within the jurisdiction of Anambra State Command, issues relating to release of bodies of the accident victims for a decent burial are to be handled by Delta State Police Command.

The Commissioner of Police CP Aderemi Adeoye commiserate with family, friends and fans of the actors who died as a result of the boat mishap. He prayed Almighty God to grant their souls a sweet repose.

Preliminary investigations have shed light on the cause of the accident. The Commissioner of Police has ordered an exhaustive investigation to determine criminal liability for any persons involved in the mishap.