The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has revealed that the tragic boat accident on Anam River in Anambra State in 2024, which claimed the life of Nollywood actor Junior Pope and four others, was caused by human error—not mechanical failure.
NIWA’s Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, disclosed this during a multi-modal transportation stakeholders forum held in Abuja on Thursday.
Oyebamiji explained that some passengers on board refused to wear the life jackets provided before the accident occurred.
“The cause was not mechanical failure, water obstacles, or weather conditions, but a blatant disregard for the rules and regulations governing inland waterway navigation,” he said.
He emphasized that such passenger behavior undermines NIWA’s efforts to maintain safety on the waterways and called on all water users to help promote safety awareness nationwide.
The forum was attended by notable figures 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 Allen Onyema, CEO of Air Peace Limited.
Junior Pope drowned when the boat he was traveling in capsized near Cable Point on the River Niger waterfront in Asaba, Delta State. He had been returning from filming the movie Another Side of Life, produced by Adanma, in April 2024.
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