We rescued seven persons. Two died while three bodies are yet to be recovered- National Inland Waterways Authority speak on boat accident that claimed Jnr Pope’s life

The National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, has reacted to the boat accident that claimed the lives of actor Pope Odonwodo and four others in Anam river in Anambra state on Wednesday, April 10.

 In an interview with Vanguard, NIWA Area manager, Suleiman Nicholas, said contrary to the claim that the incident happen in Anam, Anambra West Local Government Area, of the state, the accident actually happened at the Akpaka Area a suburb of Onitsha and Nsugbe Anambra East Local Government Area, when the victims were going to Anam, where they went to shoot a movie.

Nicholas disclosed that they were twelve in the ill fated boat, seven of the victims were rescued alive, two were recovered dead while three are still missing and out of the three missing, two are female, while one is male.

He stated that NIWA officials alongside Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria and Marine Police are currently at the scene of the incident in Akpaka Area of Onitsha and Nsugbe, conducting rescue and recovery activities, with the men of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria and Marine Police.

Asked if the popular Nollywood actor, John Paul Odobwido, aka Junior Pope was one of the dead victims, he said “my people said Junior Pope was one of the dead’.

WIth regards to the likely cause of the accident, the NIWA boss said 

“Whatever you will get now as the cause of the incident may not be accurate, we are waiting for the report from my men who are at the scene of the incident, my men are on the water now to recover the remaining three missing victims”.