Emeka Rollas, the newly re-elected president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), has clarified that the actors who reportedly died after collapsing on a film set in Owerri, Imo State, were not members of the guild.
The incident, which occurred last week, involved four actors who reportedly lost consciousness after eating and drinking on set.
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The police stated that the two died on arrival at the Federal University Teaching Hospital in Owerri, while the other two are said to be recovering.
Reacting via an Instagram post, Rollas expressed sadness over the incident and stressed the AGN’s repeated warnings for actors to register with the guild before participating in film productions.
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“So sad some actors who are not members of the Actors Guild just lost their lives while filming in Owerri,” he wrote. “We have repeatedly warned that actors must join the guild to practice in Nollywood.”
The tragedy comes just days after a memorial was held for late actor Junior Pope, who died in April 2024 during a movie shoot in Asaba, Delta State, alongside three crew members.
Drawing parallels between the two incidents, Rollas suggested that Nollywood may be experiencing a disturbing trend of annual mass casualties on film sets.
“This points to two things: the devil still wants this pattern of mass death repeated on an annual basis,” he said. “If not for God, the death toll in Owerri could have been four. The same number we lost last year in Asaba.”
Bad trend
Rollas also criticised the growing number of unregulated film productions across the country, where individuals, according to him, “just wake up, equip themselves with cameras, and call themselves Nollywood.”
“This is a bad trend. These people camp themselves in unhealthy, unverified environments, making content. Content creators have to be licensed.”
In response to the tragedy, the AGN has announced plans to hold a prayer programme in partnership with Jerry Eze of Streams of Joy Ministries, a popular pastor.
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Rollas said the initiative aims to seek divine intervention and safeguard Nollywood from further loss.
“We cannot continue like this,” he said, urging all actors to participate in the upcoming spiritual exercise.
In 2024, Nollywood lost approximately 23 actors due to causes ranging from illness to financial hardship, plaguing Africa’s most significant film industry.
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