Junior Pope’s death was caused by human error and not mechanical failure – NIWA

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has attributed the 2024 boat mishap on the Anam River in Anambra State, which claimed the life of Nollywood actor Junior Pope and four others, to human error rather than mechanical failure.

The Managing Director of NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji, made this known during a multi-modal transportation stakeholders’ forum held in Abuja on Thursday, July 31. According to him, the incident could have been prevented if passengers had adhered to established safety protocols.

“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 further revealed that some of the passengers on board before the accident occurred rejected life jackets offered to them, a decision that contributed to the fatal outcome.

Citing the incident as a major setback to the authority’s efforts, Oyebamiji said such actions by passengers undermine the agency’s mission to promote safety on Nigeria’s waterways. He urged all water users to support NIWA in spreading awareness about the importance of water safety and compliance with regulations.

The stakeholders’ forum was attended by key figures in the transport sector, 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 the CEO of Air Peace Limited, Allen Onyema.

Junior Pope and the other victims drowned in April 2024 while returning from a movie shoot titled Another Side of Life, produced by filmmaker Adanma. Their boat capsized near Cable Point at the River Niger waterside in Asaba, Delta State.

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