The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has said that the 2024 boat accident on the Anam River in Anambra State, which caused the death of Nollywood actor Junior Pope and four others, was caused by human error and not by mechanical failure.

Bola Oyebamiji, the Managing Director of NIWA, shared this during a transportation forum held in Abuja on July 31. He explained that the accident could have been avoided if passengers had followed safety rules.

According to Oyebamiji, the cause was not due to any problem with the boat’s engine, obstacles in the water, or bad weather. Instead, it was because some people ignored the rules that guide safe travel on Nigeria’s inland waterways.

He also revealed that some passengers refused to wear life jackets offered to them, which contributed to the tragic loss of lives.

This accident was a major setback for NIWA’s efforts to promote safety on the waterways. Oyebamiji urged everyone who uses these water routes to help raise awareness about the importance of following safety regulations.

The forum was attended by important people from the transport industry, including the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; the heads of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau and Nigerian Meteorological Agency; and the CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema.

Junior Pope and the other victims drowned in April 2024 while returning from filming a movie called Another Side of Life. Their boat capsized near Cable Point on the River Niger in Asaba, Delta State.