Tragedy struck the Nollywood community as actor Junior Pope Odonwodo, widely known as Junior Pope, has been confirmed dead following a drowning incident during a movie shoot.
Emeka Rollas, the National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), delivered the somber news through an Instagram post in the early hours of Thursday.
Reports emerged that Junior Pope, aged 39, along with three fellow actors, met their untimely demise in the Delta State region of the River Niger while returning from a film location by boat.
The news casts a shadow over what would have been the actor’s 40th birthday on May 7, 2024.
Initially, there was hope for Junior Pope’s recovery when it was reported that he had been revived and was undergoing treatment in a hospital, as confirmed by Rollas.
However, the optimism was short-lived as Rollas later announced the tragic passing of the actor and one of his colleagues via his Instagram page, leaving the Nollywood industry and fans mourning the loss of a talented performer.
He posted, “It is so so sad that our joy was shortlived.
“My first post was out of excitement when we noticed his tingling fingers. Two notable hospitals tried their best to revive him but to no avail.
“God knows the best. We finally lost him.”
