‘Junior Pope’s Death was Preventable’ – NIWA blames human error, not machine failure

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has officially stated that the tragic boat accident that claimed the life of beloved Nollywood actor, Junior Pope, alongside four crew members in April 2024, was caused by human negligence, not mechanical issues or environmental factors.

Speaking during the Multi-Modal Transportation Stakeholders’ Forum held in Abuja on Thursday, July 31, NIWA's Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, addressed the lingering concerns and speculation surrounding the incident. 

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According to Oyebamiji, the fatal mishap on the Anam River in Anambra State was avoidable and stemmed from a “flagrant disregard for safety regulations.”

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“It was not mechanical failure, not impediments in the water or weather challenges, but purely a flagrant disregard for rules and regulations guiding movement on the inland waterways,” he explained.

He revealed that some of the passengers on board the ill-fated boat declined to wear life jackets, equipment that could have saved their lives. “Such decisions,” Oyebamiji emphasised, “undermine NIWA’s efforts to instil a culture of safety across Nigeria’s inland waterways.”


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The tragedy

The late actor, Junior Pope Odonwodo, had been returning from a movie location for a film titled Another Side of Life, produced by Adanma Luke, when the boat he boarded capsized. The incident occurred near Cable Point at the River Niger waterfront in Asaba, Delta State.

Eyewitnesses reported that the boat was overloaded and that most of the passengers were not wearing life jackets, some out of discomfort, others due to disregard. 

The vessel, used frequently for such film-related commutes, was allegedly operating without strict adherence to NIWA safety standards.

The Managing Director of NIWA stressed that this incident was a sobering reminder of what could go wrong when waterway safety rules are ignored. 

“We are working tirelessly to enforce regulations, but we need the cooperation of all stakeholders, boat operators, film producers, and passengers, to ensure lives are not needlessly lost,” Oyebamiji said.

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