Nigerian actor Junior Pope dies in a boating accident

According to his fellow actors, Nollywood star Junior Pope Odonwodo, also referred to as Jnr Pope, passed away in a boat accident while filming a movie in the Delta state of Nigeria.

When medical professionals tried to revive the movie star in a hospital, it was first claimed that he had survived the accident.

“It is really very terrible that our happiness was fleeting. Despite their greatest efforts, he was unable to be revived by two renowned hospitals. We lost him at last,” Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) president Emeka Rollas Ejezie wrote on Facebook.

Social media users posted videos of rescuers hauling the actor—who looked to be unconscious—out of River Niger, the scene of the late-night tragedy on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old actor posted a video of himself and four other people traveling to the movie set on a boat on his Instagram feed a few hours prior to the disaster.

He could be heard praying for a safe voyage and voicing concerns about the absence of safety precautions.

With almost 150 Nollywood films to his credit, Junior Pope is most recognized for his roles as a hitman, bodyguard, criminal, and villain.

Actors who are his peers have lamented him on social media.