Boat Accident: How Junior Pope Rejected Dirty Life Jacket, I Regret Choosing Asaba As Filming Location- Adanma Luke …Police Arrest Boat Operators

Producer of the controversial movie, ‘The Other Side of Life’  in which Junior Pope was starring before his sudden death in a boat accident last week, Adanma Luke, has submitted that she regretted making Asaba the filming location.

Recall that Junior Pope and four other film  crew members died in a boat accident  while returning from a movie location on the River Niger.

Adanma Luke, a popular actress, in a video posted on  Instagram  on Saturday,  disclosed that she escaped death by a whisker while adding that it was the first time Junior Pope would be starring in her movie.

 The popular actress also disclosed that Junior Pope was given a life jacket which he however rejected because it is dirty.

‘On the 10th of April, we lost five of our members who were on their way to a location through boat and had an accident.

I’ve been so traumatized. I’ve been so cold. this whole thing, it still feels like a dream to me.

I’ve not been able to make any statements since, because we’ve been trying to recover the bodies. I’ve been providing fuel money to those looking for bodies, providing caskets, ambulance to make sure the bodies were conveyed to their villages and families.

I’ve not been quiet; I’ve been doing things just so these people can rest. It’s so sad that this happened on my set.

I blame myself that I would have been in Lagos, doing my thing in Lagos. I blame myself for coming down to Asaba.

I was supposed to be on that boat; my production manager was calling me to bring the memory card so they could start filming, and I told him to come and collect it.

He said, ‘Mama, you know this place is far; please just bring it for us.’

I said, ‘Okay, why haven’t you people crossed?’ He said they were waiting for Junior Pope to arrive.

On the 9th, they went there on their own, Junior Pope came on his own. He came alone.

So, on this 10th, while I was getting ready to go drop the card with them, I was accompanied by my brother’s children, two kids that were supposed to go with me. We were supposed to be on that boat together.

Getting there, I saw Emeka, my D.O.P.  He was just sitting. I was surprised because I didn’t see others. I asked Emeka, ‘What is it? And people surrounded him, Emeka was quiet.

 I said,  ‘Emeka, talk to me. What is the problem? Why haven’t you people gone? Where is Ogolo? Where is everybody? Has JP come?’ He was quiet.

I started shouting, ‘What is happening? Somebody talk to me.’ Emeka now said, ‘JP don go, Abigail don go, Friday don go, Precious don go.’

I still didn’t understand what he meant by that. ‘What do you mean, don go, don go where?’ He said, ‘dem dey inside water.’

I said, let me go and look for them. They started holding me that I should not go. I said, ‘Let me be there. Let me be sure the divers are looking for them.’ They said there were over 50 divers in the water looking for them.

My director was saying that he didn’t know what happened. He was on a life jacket. Emeka, the D.O.P. was on a life jacket. There was still one life jacket available, I don’t know who had it.

But my PM said that day they saw life jackets there and took them. He even told the late Friday to send one to Junior Pope, but Junior Pope said it was dirty, so he didn’t take it.

These people with the life jackets survived. They also told me that when they were in the water trying to survive, Junior Pope was also there, asking if everybody was okay. They even threw a gallon to him to hold himself, which he was holding, but all of a sudden, they didn’t see him again.

It was when they came out that they noticed that he was no longer there because they said divers came and rescued some of them while other divers were still there trying to rescue others’ she said.

The popular actress also specially lamented the death of the film crew members .

‘I still can’t believe this. These  film crew members were my family. They’ve been working with me. If I’m working in Lagos, they’ll come from Asaba to come and work with me.

All through last year, we stayed together in Lagos. We were filming and working together’ she added.

In the meanwhile,  the Anambra state Police Command has disclosed that operators of the ill-fated boat have been arrested.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Spokesman for the state police command,  Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed this  on Saturday, added that the boat operators  are currently undergoing custodial interrogation.

Adanma Luke, had  also voluntarily made herself available for questioning, Ikenga noted..

‘Yes, the boat operators have been arrested. Even the producer of the movie, Adanma Luke. Their statements were taken, and interrogation is ongoing’ he said-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you