BREAKING: Nollywood Mourns As Junior Pope, Three Others Die In Boat Accident On Their Way For A Shoot [Video]

Image: X

The entertainment industry has been hit with tragedy as Nollywood actor Pope Odonwodo, known as Junior Pope, has passed away. The news of his death was announced on Wednesday, April 10, by filmmaker Samuel Olatunji.

Reports indicate that the actor, along with three others, lost their lives in a tragic boat capsizing incident.

“Four actors, including Jnr Pope, fell into Anam River on their way to a location, and their bodies have been recovered.

“What a sad day for Nollywood. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” Olatunji wrote on his Instagram page.

Our source has not been able to identify the other three actors involved in the boat capsizing incident.

Junior Pope, survived by his wife and three children, posted a video on his Instagram page on Wednesday. In the video, he was on a boat without a life jacket, pleading with the captain to slow down. He used the opportunity to highlight the risks actors take to entertain their audience.

He began to plead with the captain to go slowly as he shouted, “I have three children to raise.”

In the caption, he wrote, “See me lamenting… The risk we take to entertain you; crossing river 9ja yesterday with no life jacket… Na wahoooooo… Who does that ??”

See Pope's last post below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by JNR POPE ODONWODO (@jnrpope)

Shortly after the news broke, the National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, posted on social media that Junior Pope was alive and receiving treatment. However, he later deleted the message. 

On Thursday morning, Rollas explained that his earlier announcement was made out of excitement when they noticed the tingling of Junior Pope's fingers.

“It’s so so sad that our joy was shortlived. My first post was out of excitement when we noticed his tingling fingers,” he wrote on Instagram.

He added, “Two notable hospitals tried their best to revive him but to no avail. God knows the best.

“We finally lost him.”

See the post below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Emeka Rollas Ejezie (@emekarollas)

Junior Pope has acted in several Nollywood movies, including "Secret Adventures," "Eye of the Eagle," "Bitter Generation," "Wrong Initiation," and "Honey Money," among others.

See the accident video trending online below:

Nigeria Actor Junior Pope has reportedly passed away.

Jnr Pope drowned and confirmed dead at Marine Cable Point in Asaba during a movie shoot.

RIP 🕊️🕊️

📸: @defaultxculture

pic.twitter.com/fq0Cv7AkCV

— UGO & ThĚ Bíg Stéppêrs (@UGOOTWEETS) April 10, 2024

Source: Instagram | X | Punch

#Junior Pope
#Nollywood
#Boat Accident