AGN President Explains Decision Not to Sue Over Junior Pope's Death

Junior Pope's Non-Membership and Contract Limit AGN's Involvement

“Update on Junior Pope, you know I said that we are about to sue. In the course of...”

AGN President Emeka Rollas reveals why the guild can't sue over Junior Pope's death, and announces plans to restructure and license actors.

The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) President, Emeka Rollas, has shed light on why the guild decided against taking legal action against movie producer Adanma Luke following the tragic demise of actor Junior Pope.

Junior Pope, whose real name was Paul Odonwodo, met his untimely death in a boat accident on April 10, 2024, while en route to a movie location. This incident sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry.

According to Rollas, the guild's inability to pursue legal action stems from the contract Junior Pope signed with Adanma Luke. The agreement stipulates that only the actor's direct family or wife has the legal right to take such action.

Emeka Rollas, President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), has provided an update on the circumstances surrounding Junior Pope's death. Rollas revealed that Junior Pope was not a due-paying member of the AGN at the time of his passing, which limited the guild's ability to intervene in the matter.

Regarding potential legal action against the producer, Adanma Luke, Rollas stated, “Update on Junior Pope, you know I said that we are about to sue. In the course of interacting with our legal adviser, he said that from the contract that Junior Pope signed with the producer, the AGN did not have the locum to sue. He said either the direct family or the wife should sue the producer.” This development means that the AGN cannot pursue legal action on behalf of Junior Pope.

In response to this situation, Rollas announced that the AGN is working on restructuring and creating a new system that includes licensing actors. This initiative aims to provide actors with better protection and a stronger support system.

“Now we go back to the structure that we are talking about. Because we just came back from Los Angeles now, we are trying to change a lot of things. From the structure we are creating, tapping from the practice, we are going to begin licensing actors because we also find out that even the Junior Pope, as of the time of his death was not a due-paying member of the guild. He was just an actor who is big and has not paid dues in the last one year before his death,” he said.