The Actor Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has suspended all shooting activities this Thursday, April 11, in response to the tragic death of popular actor John Paul Odonwodo, popularly known as Junior Pope.
Junior Pope drowned in the River Niger on Wednesday alongside four of his colleagues after their boat capsized in Asaba while returning from a movie shooting.
The news of his death sent shockwaves through the industry, prompting AGN to take swift action.
On Thursday morning, AGN President, Emeka Rollas, took to its social media platforms to declare the suspension of all shooting activities on Thursday and riverine shooting movies until further notice.
The organisation also prohibited actors from shooting with Adanma Luke, the producer of the movie in which Junior Pope lost his life.
“All films that involve riverine areas and boat riding are hereby suspended indefinitely,” the AGN announced.
The AGN also singled out the film titled “Another Side of Life,” which Pope was acting, suspending it indefinitely.
The confusion surrounding Junior Pope’s death has added to the grief of fans and colleagues of the actor.
Initially, Emeka Rollas erroneously declared the actor alive in a now-deleted post late Wednesday, after news of his death went viral.
Mr Emeka’s announcement triggered a wave of relief and jubilation on social media platforms, but the excitement was short-lived.
The AGN president confirmed the actor’s death on Instagram and apologised for the earlier misinformation.
“It is so so sad that our joy was shortlived,” he said.
“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. We finally lost him,” he added.
In a more recent Instagram post, Emeka Rollas confirmed Pope’s death, stating that despite efforts by two reputable hospitals, the actor could not be revived.
The bodies of three other actors who perished in the incident are still missing, he said.
Junior Pope’s untimely demise marks the third loss of a renowned Nollywood figure this year, following the deaths of comic actor John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu, and Amaechi Muonagor.
He is survived by his wife and three sons.
