The reason of death for Nollywood actor Junior Pope has been disclosed by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
According to reports, NIWA stated that human mistake, not technical failure, was the cause of the April 2024 boat tragedy on the Anam River in Anambra State that killed the actor and four other people.
This was disclosed by Bola Oyebamiji, Managing Director of NIWA, at a stakeholders’ meeting on multimodal transportation on Thursday in Abuja.
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He clarified that the disaster occurred as a result of disregard for safety regulations.
According to reports, some travelers declined to put on the life jackets that were provided to them prior to the trip.
According to Oyebamiji, neither the weather nor the water quality were to blame, nor was there an issue with the boat’s engine.
Rather, he explained that the accident was caused by negligence and disregard for the waterways’ safety regulations.
The head of NIWA voiced concern that passenger behavior like this would make it more difficult for the organization to promote safety.
“It was just a blatant disregard for the rules and regulations guiding movement on the inland waterways, not a mechanical failure, water obstacles, or weather challenges,” Oyebamiji stated.
Additionally, he asked waterway users to help NIWA raise awareness of safety nationwide.
In Asaba, Delta State, Junior Pope and the others were returning from a filming site for Adanma Luke’s Another Side of Life when their boat overturned close to Cable Point on the River Niger.
