NIWA: Human Error, Not Mechanical Fault, Caused Junior Pope Boat Tragedy

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has confirmed that the fatal boat accident on Anam River in Anambra State in April 2024— which claimed the life of Nollywood actor Junior Pope and four others—was the result of human error rather than any mechanical failure.

NIWA Managing Director Bola Oyebamiji disclosed the findings at a multi-modal transportation stakeholders’ forum in Abuja. He explained that some passengers had refused to wear life jackets provided by the crew, saying:

> “It was not mechanical failure, not impediments in the water or weather challenges, but purely a flagrant disregard for rules and regulations guiding movement on the inland waterways.”

Oyebamiji warned that such non-compliance undermines NIWA’s safety initiatives and urged all waterway users to collaborate in raising awareness and enforcing safety standards nationwide.

The forum was attended by Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Director-General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency Director-General, and Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema, among other transport-sector leaders.

Junior Pope drowned when the boat en route from a movie shoot—led by producer Adanma for the film Another Side of Life—capsized near Cable Point on the River Niger in Asaba, Delta State.