- NIWA attributes Junior Pope’s death to failure to follow safety protocols.
- Life jackets were reportedly rejected by passengers before the accident.
- Agency urges strict adherence to water transport regulations.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has stated that the fatal boat mishap that claimed the life of Nollywood actor Junior Pope Odonwodo and four others in April 2024 was a result of human error, not mechanical failure.
Eko Hot Blog reports Speaking during a multi-modal transportation stakeholders’ forum in Abuja on Thursday, July 31, NIWA Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, said the tragedy could have been avoided if passengers had complied with established safety rules.
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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,” Oyebamiji explained.
He disclosed that several passengers on board had declined to wear life jackets that were made available before the boat embarked on its journey. According to him, this decision directly contributed to the scale of the tragedy.
The incident occurred on the Anam River in Anambra State while the passengers, including Junior Pope, were returning from the set of a movie titled Another Side of Life, produced by filmmaker Adanma. The boat capsized near Cable Point at the River Niger waterside in Asaba, Delta State.
Oyebamiji described the event as a serious blow to NIWA’s mission to promote safe navigation across Nigeria’s inland waterways. He urged greater public cooperation in upholding waterway safety measures.
“We must collectively raise awareness and promote strict compliance with safety protocols. Every life lost due to negligence sets us back,” he added.
The Abuja forum was attended by key figures in the transportation sector, including Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, the Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, and Air Peace CEO, Allen Onyema.
Junior Pope’s untimely death sent shockwaves across the entertainment industry, sparking fresh conversations about maritime safety and the enforcement of life jacket usage on domestic water routes.
