Why We Couldn’t Sue Adanma Luke Over Junior Pope’s Death – AGN President, Emeka Rollas

Emeka Rollas, president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), has provided an update on the case involving the late actor Junior Pope, revealing why the guild did not sue actress Adanma Luke, the producer of the ill-fated film, The Other Side of Life, in which Pope starred. Pope tragically died on April 10, 2024, along with four crew members, when their boat capsized on the River Niger in Asaba, Delta State, while traveling to a movie location. Following the incident, Luke was suspended by the AGN.

Rollas explained that the guild could not pursue legal action against the producer because Pope was not a due-paying member of the AGN at the time of his death. He further clarified that the contract signed by Pope with Luke stipulated that only the actor’s direct family or wife had the legal right to take action against the producer.

Speaking in a recent interview on Arise TV, Rollas emphasized the guild’s ongoing efforts to restructure and improve its operations. He revealed that the AGN is looking to implement a licensing system for actors, drawing on practices from Los Angeles, in order to ensure better organization and membership compliance. “We also found out that Junior Pope, as of his death, had not paid dues for the last year,” Rollas added. “He was a big actor, but not an active member of the guild at the time.”