Actor Pope Odonwodo and four other people lost their life in a boat tragedy in the Anam River in the state of Anambra on Wednesday, April 10. The National Inland Waterways Authority, or NIWA, has responded to the incident.
Contrary to claims that the incident occurred in Anam, Anambra West Local Government Area, of the state, NIWA Area Manager Suleiman Nicholas stated in an interview with Vanguard that the accident actually occurred at the Akpaka Area, a suburb of Onitsha, and Nsugbe Anambra East Local Government Area, when the victims were travelling to Anam, where they went to shoot a movie.
Nicholas said that there were twelve people aboard the tragic boat; seven of the victims were found alive, two had been found dead, and three were still unaccounted for, two of whom were female and one of whom was male.
He said that the men of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria and the Marine Police are presently executing rescue and recovery operations at the location of the disaster in the Akpaka Area of Onitsha and Nsugbe, in collaboration with NIWA authorities.
When asked if he was among the deceased victims, well-known Nollywood actor John Paul Odobwido, better known by his stage as Junior Pope, replied, “My people said Junior Pope was one of the dead.”
In terms of the accident’s most likely cause,the NIWA boss said
“Whatever you will get now as the cause of the incident may not be accurate, we are waiting for the report from my men who are at the scene of the incident, my men are on the water now to recover the remaining three missing victims”.