It has been four months since Nollywood star Junior Pope died in a boating accident while filming 'The Other Side of Life', the ill-fated movie by up-and-coming filmmaker Adama Luke.
Unsurprisingly, Ms. Luke has experienced a number of life-altering incidents since the unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of five people on the set of her film.
First, the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) suspended her for flouting safety protocols. The police also launched an investigation as filmmakers and actors boycotted her productions.
Before the incident, the 34-year-old producer was known for producing films such as Iga (Love in Chain) (2020), Narrow Affection (2023), and School Trouble (2014).
Luke's suspension, which was recently lifted, did little to ease the public's outrage and pain. Things heated up on Monday when Luke revealed he was becoming mentally unstable and asked Nigerians for forgiveness.
In an emotional Instagram live video on Monday, the Nollywood producer shared that she could no longer stand bravely before those still in mourning and called on Nigerians to consider her side of the situation.
“I don’t have much to say, I’m just here to say I’m sorry,” she said, visibly distressed. “I’m sorry, Nigerians. I’m sorry that I have alienated your loved ones from what people are saying.
Article page with promotion of financial support
“I’m so sad. As much as I try to be strong, I still don’t see myself being strong. I’m so sad that this had to happen on my set. I’m so sad that they had to work for me at that time. I’m not God.”
Meant to be
The 34-year-old producer expressed her regret at the tragedy and explained that the location had been frequently used for filming without any prior incidents.
“This was meant to happen. It’s meant to happen, but then why me? I never liked the internet or drama, but this puts me on blast. A lot of people, a lot of people, have been dragging me down. A lot of people have been telling Adanma not to talk, to let this die down, not to talk, but I’m going through a lot. I’m going through a lot. I’m trying to heal, but it’s not coming back. We all love JP (Junior Pope). We all love other people who lost their lives too, my team members.
“I didn’t do it on purpose. I’ve been filming in that place, that particular spot, for a long time. I don’t know why it had to happen to me. Every morning I see myself at the prayer altar asking God: Why me? Why me? Why me? Please Nigerians, I’m sorry, the whole world. We all love JP. We all love JP. I’m sorry.”
The plight of ships
The Anambra-born actress recounted her experience on set, noting that specific issues were overlooked despite her efforts to ensure safety.
She said: “I had not visited Asaba for the past two years until that incident. When I wanted to shoot that job, I asked for a better location and they took me there. The first time I went there, I wondered what was going on. Why weren’t they providing us with life jackets? We had to see the place before we went to the main shoot.
“So my PM (production manager) told me that ‘this is how they do it there and a lot of people have been crossing, nothing has happened, they have been filming there’. I was not the first person to film a movie there. They film there all the time. I wasn’t even filming in the water. It was a means of transportation to get to the location. It’s not that I did it on purpose. It wasn’t my duty, but I take all the blame. I bear all the crosses. But please Nigerians, I’m sorry. It has happened.”
No vacation
Adding to the pressure, the embattled producer had to defend herself against rumours suggesting she went on holiday following the tragedy.
This newspaper's checks of Ms Luke's Instagram posts around the time of the incident reveal a number of troll comments discouraging her from moving on with her life.
Despite not posting for some time after the incident, many have taken to the platform to blame her, demanding that she continue to bear the blame for the tragedy.
Regarding the backlash, Slayers Wears CEO said: “People are even saying that I went on vacation. I’m here on business. I’m traveling to help myself. I’ve been at home, doing nothing, and yet caring for families who lost their loved ones.
“Where do you expect me to get all this money? I need to work. I need to make money. My baby was not even three months old when this happened. You can’t even imagine what I went through. But please forgive me, fellow Nigerians. Please forgive me. I know I can’t bring the dead back to life, but… I’m sorry, please.”
Despite her friends' offers for her to take a break to regain her sanity, the producer admitted she can't find peace. She said: “My friends even tell me to go. Just come. We'll take you on holiday. Let's go. But I couldn't. I couldn't because they wanted me to regain my sanity. They want me to be okay, but it's not going to come. I don't see myself doing all that.
“I have been doing this. I didn’t even know what depression was until this whole incident happened. I am slowly losing my life. I am regretting a lot of things. I don’t even know how to call people for a job. Please Nigerians forgive me. Forgive me for hiring people for a job. I don’t know what to say but I am sorry. I am sorry. I am losing my life.”
“I’ve done a lot of things that people don’t even say in reality. I’ve done a lot of things that people don’t say on social media. But when it comes to Ada, ‘Ada did this.’ They’ll want to kill me. I think if something happens to me now, everyone will rest.”
Background
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the tragic boat accident claimed the lives of actor Junior Pope and four other crew members on the Anam River in Anambra on April 10. Before Junior Pope’s death, he had expressed concern over the lack of life jackets during river crossing.
A preliminary report by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) on May 25 revealed that driver distraction caused the accident and that the boat was not certified by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
In response to the incident, the actors' union halted film shoots nationwide on April 11 and launched an investigation. The union also introduced new safety regulations into the bylaws and lifted a temporary ban on filming in riverside areas in July.
On April 13, Adanma Luke said she was traumatized by the incident and revealed that she was on the verge of boarding the ill-fated boat due to a last-minute change of plans. She confirmed that while life jackets were available, Junior Pope refused to wear one because it was dirty.
Junior Pope was buried in his hometown of Ukehe, Enugu State, on May 17, while other victims, including sound engineer Precious Ofurum and make-up artist Abigail Fredrick, were buried in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States respectively.