New revelations have emerged regarding the tragic boat accident that claimed the life of Nollywood actor John Paul Odonwodo, widely known as Junior Pope, along with four others on April 10 at the Anam River. Contrary to earlier reports, Junior Pope did not refuse a life jacket, as none were made available to him by the boat operators.

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Prince Uvo Kevin Oghogho, the Chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) committee investigating the incident, clarified that the boat operators did not offer life jackets to the late actor. “No life jacket was provided to the late actor,” Oghogho stated. He explained that only the Director of Photography and the Sound Engineer had life jackets, which they had hired from the operators.

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“When the accident occurred, the operators quickly brought out new life jackets. They had not been making life jackets available to passengers previously,” Oghogho added. This revelation was made during an interview with a Vanguard reporter after presenting the committee’s findings to the guild’s National Executive Council in Lagos, three months post-disaster.

Detailing the events leading up to the tragedy, Oghogho recounted, “The outboard engine fiber boat conveying the cast and crew of the movie, produced by Adamma Luke, departed Asaba jetty heading to Ononno jetty. At about 12:30 pm, according to survivors, Junior Pope was making a video while his colleagues were having fun. The boat driver’s attention was diverted as he looked back to catch a glimpse of the action while speeding. He eventually crashed into a crossing local fishing canoe, causing the boat to capsize and throwing all occupants into the Anam River. Five passengers died on the spot, while seven were rescued alive.”

Oghogho refuted claims that Junior Pope was murdered and thrown into the river, clarifying that another victim, not just Junior Pope, bled from the nose. He also mentioned that the doctor assigned to the marine police performed CPR on-site and confirmed the deaths of Junior Pope and another victim named Friday before transporting their remains to the Asaba morgue.

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The AGN committee recommended that the Ministry of Transportation or Inland Waterways mandate the provision of life jackets for all passengers boarding water transport. “There’s also a need to educate our colleagues on safety measures because we tend to take risks,” Oghogho noted.

Junior Pope’s funeral took place in his hometown of Ukehe, Nsukka, Igboetiti Local Government Area, Enugu State, drawing a significant turnout of mourners.