Nollywood actor Junior Pope Odonwodo, also known as Junior Pope, tragically lost his life after drowning while attempting to cross the River Niger during a movie shoot. Emeka Rollas, the National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), confirmed Junior Pope’s passing in an Instagram post early on Thursday. Earlier reports indicated that the 39-year-old actor, along with three colleagues, drowned in the Delta State section of the River Niger while returning from a film location by boat. Junior Pope, who would have celebrated his 40th birthday on May 7, 2024, met an untimely demise in the incident.
Initial reports suggested that Junior Pope and others had drowned, but subsequent updates from Rollas on Instagram initially indicated that the actor had been revived and was undergoing treatment in a hospital, as seen in some circulating videos on social media. However, in the early hours of Thursday, Rollas sadly announced Junior Pope’s eventual demise, along with another colleague. Despite efforts from two notable hospitals to revive him, Junior Pope could not be saved. Rollas expressed deep sadness over the loss, stating that while there was initially hope when Junior Pope showed signs of life, ultimately, they had to accept the tragic outcome. Identification of one corpse was confirmed, but three others remain missing.