The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has revealed that human error, not mechanical failure, was responsible for the tragic boat mishap that claimed the lives of Nollywood actor Junior Pope and four others on the Anam River in Anambra State in April 2024.
NIWA’s Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, disclosed during a multi-modal transportation stakeholders forum held in Abuja on Thursday, while addressing concerns over recurring safety lapses on Nigeria’s inland waterways.
Oyebamiji dismissed speculation that mechanical faults or environmental factors caused the accident, stating instead that passengers on board had deliberately disregarded basic safety regulations, including refusing to wear life jackets provided to them.
“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 said.
He stressed that such avoidable behaviour continues to undermine NIWA’s safety efforts, and called on all waterway users to cooperate with authorities in promoting safety awareness nationwide.
The forum, which brought together key industry stakeholders, also featured notable participants including the 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, among others.
Actor Junior Pope Odonwodo, along with four crew members, tragically lost their lives when their boat capsized around Cable Point on the River Niger in Asaba, Delta State, while returning from the set of the movie “Another Side of Life”, produced by Adanma Luke.
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