Junior Pope Odonwodo, also known as Jnr Pope, drowned in a boat accident while travelling to film a movie in Nigeria's Delta state, according to his co-stars.
The film actor was previously claimed to have survived the accident after doctors attempted to resuscitate him in a hospital. "It's really awful that our excitement was short-lived.
Two well-known hospitals attempted to revive him, but were unsuccessful. "We finally lost him," Emeka Rollas Ejezie, the president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), wrote on Facebook.
Rescuers carried the actor, who appeared comatose, out of the River Niger, where the incident occurred late Wednesday, according to videos shared on social media.
Hours before the catastrophe, the 39-year-old actor posted a video on Instagram of himself and four other people heading to the filming location via boat.
He was heard expressing concern about the absence of safety precautions and praying for a safe trip.
Junior Pope has appeared in over 150 Nollywood films and is best recognised for his performances as a criminal, villain, bodyguard, and hitman.
Fellow actors have taken to social media to mourn him.
Nollywood is still mourning with the deaths of two more industry stalwarts, John Okafor, often known as Mr Ibu, and Amaechi Muonagor.
Original Source - BBC AFRICA