Movie producer, Adanma Luke, has spoken on why she contracted the deceased Nollywood actor, John Paul Odonwodo, for the ill-fated movie, ‘The Other Side of Life.’
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Odonwodo, popularly known as Junior Pope, and four other actors drowned after their boat capsized in Anam River in Anambra State on Wednesday while returning from the movie shoot.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) had earlier said 12 individuals were on the ill-fated boat.
NIWA added that of the 12, seven were successfully rescued, two found dead, including Mr Odonwodo while three others – two females and one male – were declared missing.
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The police in Anambra State, Friday, said they had recovered bodies of the three missing Nollywood stars.
The filmmaker, on Thursday, voluntarily turned herself in to the police, who said they were investigating any criminal liability on the unfortunate incident.
Hiring Junior Pope
In her first public comment on the incident in a video clip she uploaded online on Saturday, Mrs Luke said she contracted Mr Odonwodo for a role in the movie production because of appeals from the deceased actor and his wife.
“This is my first time working with Junior Pope. He’s my friend. The wife is my friend too,” she said in a video clip uploaded on her Instagram handle.
“I talked to the wife sometime, and that was when she said, ‘Why aren’t you giving my husband work? Junior Pope said, ‘Ada, you be my friend, why you no dey give me work?’
“I told Junior Pope that you know it is action films you usually shoot, I hardly do action (movies). He said no that he also does love stories, he could do other things. He said that’s why he’s an artiste.
“I said I forgot that as an artiste he could do anything. And I said it’s okay. Don’t worry (I would contract you in my next movie shooting),” the filmmaker narrated.
PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier that the film maker blamed Junior Pope‘s death on his refusal to wear a lifejacket during the ill-fated boat trip.
‘I was supposed to be in the capsized boat’
Mrs Luke also said she was supposed to be part of the crew members that boarded the boat, but arrived later after the boat had taken off.
She said “My production manager was calling me to bring memory card so they could start filming, and I told him to come and collect it (from my house).
“He said, ‘Mama, you know this place is far; please just bring it for us. I said, ‘Okay.’”
Continuing, the movie producer said, “So, on 10 April (the day the boat capsized), 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.”
‘They were my family; I’m traumatised’
Mrs Luke said she was traumatised by the tragic incident because the victims were more like a family to her.
“I’ve been so traumatised. I’ve been so cold. I still can’t believe this. These 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.
READ ALSO: Police probe possible criminal liability in cause of Junior Pope, others death
“This whole thing, it still feels like a dream to me. I blame myself that I would have been in Lagos, doing my thing in Lagos. I blame myself for coming down to Asaba,” she said while shedding tears.
Actor guild’s ban
Mrs Luke’s comments on the boat accident came days after The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) barred actors from dealing with her for the time being.
In a statement on Thursday, the National President of the AGN, Emeka Rollas also announced the suspension of the production of ‘The other side of Life,’ the movie which led to the accident.
On their part, the police in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, have also begun an investigation to unravel any criminal liability in the cause of death of Mr Odonwodo and four others.
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