Junior Pope: Actors Guild Bans Riverine Shoots, Suspends Filmmaker Adanma Luke [Image]

Image: Premium Times

The tragic incident involving actor Junior Pope Odonwodo has prompted the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) to take swift action.

Junior Pope was among those who drowned while returning from a shoot for the movie "Another Side of Life," produced by Adanma Luke. Their boat capsized near Cable Point along the River Niger in Asaba, Delta State.

Initial reports suggested that Junior Pope had been revived, but the AGN has confirmed his passing, leading to the suspension of shoots in riverine areas and the temporary suspension of filmmaker Adanma Luke.

This unfortunate event serves as a stark reminder of the dangers inherent in filming near water bodies, prompting the AGN to prioritize safety measures for future productions.

The AGN president Emeka Rollas said in a statement on Thursday:

“Following the tragic incident of boat mishap that claimed the life of Mr John Paul Odonwodo aka Junior Pope and four other crew members at the waterside of River Niger Cable point Asaba on 10 April 2024 on a movie set titled ‘The other side of Life’ produced by Adanma Luke 

“The leadership of the Guild has taken the following decisions: (1) All films that involve riverine areas and boat riding are at this moment suspended indefinitely, (2) no shoot on all locations Nationwide on Thursday, 11 April 2024.

“(3)The film titled ‘Another Side of Life’ is suspended indefinitely (4) No actor is allowed to work with Adamma Luke as a producer till further notice. (5) While we keep searching for the bodies of the remaining persons, may their souls rest in peace.”

The decision to ban shoots in riverine areas and suspend filmmaker Adanma Luke follows a series of conflicting reports regarding Junior Pope Odonwodo's status. The AGN President initially confirmed the actor's death but later deleted the post on his Instagram handle. Subsequently, he posted another message reconfirming Junior Pope's passing.

“It’s so so sad that our joy was shortlived. My first post was out of excitement when we noticed his tingling fingers. Two notable hospitals tried their best to revive him but to no avail. God knows the best,” he said.

“We finally lost him. Mr Friday’s corpse has been identified but three other corpses are yet to be found.”

See the letter by AGN below:



Source: Channels

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