Jnr Pope: AGN lifts suspension on Adanma Luke, approves riverine filming

The President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Emeka Rollas, has lifted the suspension on Adanma Luke, the producer of the ill-fated movie ‘The Other Side of Life’, in which Nollywood actor John Paul Odonwodo, aka Junior Pope, and four others died while working.

The deceased actor and four other crew members of the movie drowned on April 10, 2024, after the boat ferrying them to the movie location capsized at the waterside of River Niger Cable Point, Asaba, Delta State. 

Following the tragic incident, the AGN indefinitely suspended Ms Luke for breaching safety protocols and prohibited its members from working with the embattled producer until further notice. The guild also banned films involving riverine areas and boat riding to ensure the safety of actors and crew members by preventing similar incidents from occurring in the future.

In a statement released today August 3, the AGN National Secretary, Abubakar Yakubu, said the decisions to lift the suspension on the producer and remove the ban on shooting in riverine areas were taken during the guild’s National Executive Council meeting.

The statement reads in part;

“The National President of the Guild, Dr. Ejezie Emeka Rollas, MON, use this opportunity to announce the lifting of the suspension placed on Adanma Luke, producer of the movie ‘Another Side of Life,’ where star actor Junior Pope and four other crew members lost their lives in Anam river.

The President also lifted the ban on filming in riverine areas but cautioned members to apply all safety standard measures recommended in the AGN Bylaws.”