The Anambra State Police Command Friday, April 12, says it recovers the three remaining bodies of the victims of a boat mishap which occurred on Wednesday along the coastline of the River Niger.
The command also urges all water commuters to be safety conscious and avoid behaviour that may jeopardise their safety and that of others while on transit on water.
It discloses this in a press statement by the state police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, on Friday.
The Daily Crucible reports that April 10, a popular Nollywood actor, Junior Pope and four others were confirmed dead after they got drowned following boat capsize.
The boat, one of two that conveyed a movie crew to a film location in Anambra West Local Government Area of the state, was returning to saba, Delta State when the unfortunate accident occurred.
Palpably shocked and grieving Actors Guild of Nigeria swiftly bars its actors from all film productions involving coastal areas and boat rides.
Ikenga said the Marine Police of the Anambra State Command recovered the bodies of the three remaining victims of the unfortunate boat accident late on Thursday.
He said, “The two of the bodies were recovered on Thursday, April 11, 2024, while the last was washed in by the tide this morning.
“All the bodies have been deposited in the hospital mortuary in Asaba while the President of the Guild of Actors and Actresses has been notified of the recovery.
“The CP promised an expedited investigation into the sad accident that claimed the lives of five actors. He also commended the Command’s Marine Unit and its Commander for dedication to duty.”
Meanwhile, Ifedayo Olarinde, also known as Daddy Freeze, has expressed his disappointment at Nollywood producers for interring a makeup artist, Abigail Fredrick, near a river in Anambra State.
Abigail and actor Junior Pope were among who died from drowning in River Niger after the conveying them back to take off point from shoot location capsized.
The make – up artist’s body was found and interred along a river in the state of Anambra, according to reports.
The cameraman’s body and that of Abigail Fredrick were discovered on Thursday, April 11.
Moses Eskor, a film director and actor, said on social media that the deceased’s family was unable to pay for the customary sacrifices required for her body to be returned to Akwa Ibom.
Additionally, he stated that not enough money had been gathered for the customary ceremonies.
Reacting, Daddy Freeze queried why Nollywood producers were unable to gather enough money to guarantee that Abigail was buried in a fitting manner.
The media personality shared on his Instagram page.
He wrote, “So the producers cannot raise the money abi? Na wa o… Just be famous in this life. The FreeNation would have raised the money in a few hours if only we were informed. Imagine person commot for house go hustle them bury am there for where he go work.”
In the same vein, some Akwa Ibom indigenes have flayed filmmaker and Chairman of the Akwa-Cross Chapter of the Directors’ Guide of Nigeria (DGN) Moses Eskor, over the handling of the make up artist, Abigail Frederick’s case and called for the exhumation of her remains which we’re buried at the river bank.
Mr. Eskor, who is the Special Assistant on Entertainment to the Akwa Ibom State Governor, had earlier said that Abigail’s body was buried at the river bank because her family couldn’t afford to pay for the needed sacrifices which cost N150, 000 and the ambulance to convey her body home.
In his reckoning, N310,000.00 was raised for the family of Abigail Frederick to pay for sacrifices and then convey her body back to Akwa Ibom State but it wasn’t enough as the family hired a taxi to and fro for N180,000.00 and spent an additional N20,000.00, making it N200,000.00.
He claimed the family couldn’t pay for the sacrifice which cost N150,000.00.
Reacting to it, a businessman, Aniebiet Antia, described Eskor’s action as “studpid, terrible and a shame,.”
Mr. Antia demanded that the body of the young woman be exhumed and offered to pay for the sacrifices and cost of conveying her body to Akwa Ibom.
“Moses Eskor, I actually knew you would bring down the post. What the hell. The most stupid post have ever read on Facebook. You could not make it public for us to contribute? Exhumed her tomorrow, myself and others will contribute and bring her back. And you accepted 200k bus hiring? Gosh. Money that would have perfected the ritual? Jesus. Even with the fact that we were asking you how much in your first post you refused to answer. This is Terrible,” he wrote.
Also, Danie Ok, wrote: “Moses Eskor has never proven me wrong. He talks anyhow. He doesn’t think at all. If you used to watch his political campaign videos, you will know the level of his thinking. Just imagine this insensitive and insulting post on the family of the deceased Akwa Ibom girl who died alongside Pope Junior. What was he trying to achieve with this post? To take glory for raising money to bury the girl?
One Soundcraft Aidee expressed shock that a hotelier and aide to the Akwa Ibom State Governor donated N10k to the family of the deceased.
“Meanwhile, he is the SA on Entertainment to the Akwa Ibom State governor. Since a hotel owner/SA to the Governor and a Film Producer/SA to the Governor couldn’t afford N150k for rituals and Ambulance to bring back her remains, what stopped them from posting it earlier on this platform and highlighting? Because I would have comfortably contributed N100k as a MUSICIAN/SA to the SP. Entertainment industry una dey whine us,” he wrote.
However, the film producer Adamma Luke, has turned herself in over to the police as investigation into the circumstances that led to the boat tragedy has begun.
