Nigerian actor Junior Pope, whose real name was John Paul Odonwodo, seemed to have had a premonition of something terrible in his last video.
In the video, Junior Pope was telling his two million Instagram followers about the risks actors take to keep them entertained.
View this post on Instagram
The 42-year-old was shouting at the top of his voice to make himself audible above the noise of a small motorboat as it sped along the River Niger.
He could be heard laughing, but it was more out of nervousness than joy. He even asked the boat driver to slow down.
He told the driver,
“I am begging the captain, I’m the only child, and I have three boys.”
Junior Pope also noticed that the boat was taking in water.
The next day, the actor was dead after his boat collided with a fishing canoe. Four others, including film crew members, were also killed.
The death of one of the biggest names in the Nollywood film industry, which is the third-largest film industry in the world after Hollywood and Bollywood, sent the Nigerian film fraternity into shock.
Junior Pope had acted in over 100 films. The accident also brought to light the poor safety environment in which Nollywood actors have to work.
The Nigerian film industry produces more than 2,500 films every year.
Many of the films are produced by well-established production houses, but a sizable number are produced by dozens of smaller companies trying to capitalize on the country’s huge success stories.
The fatal accident led the Actors Guild of Nigeria to immediately take action and suspend all filming in and around rivers indefinitely. It also called for a thorough review of safety standards and their strict implementation.
The Nigerian Safety Investigations Bureau found glaring inadequacies in safety protocols and revealed that:
- The driver was not certified to operate the boat.
- The boat was not registered.
- Only one person was wearing a life jacket (one of the eight survivors had brought the life jacket on board themselves).
The film’s producer, Adanma Luke, in a now-deleted Instagram post, had contended that she was told there were life jackets on the boat, and that Junior Pope had refused to wear one.
View this post on Instagram
Adanma Luke, who is also a well-known Nollywood actress and producer, has expressed deep remorse and pleaded for forgiveness after the boat accident, which led to the death of five people, including John Odonwodo, aka Junior Pope.
In a video shared on her Instagram page on Monday, Luke stated that she has been depressed since the incident happened in April.
She said,
“I’m just here to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Nigerians. I’m sorry I took away your loved ones from-what people are saying.”
Also Read: Karely Ruiz Announces Pregnancy, Posts On Instagram Rejoicing For Her Baby Girl
