NIWA Reacts To Anambra Boat Mishap That Claimed The Life of Jnr Pope

The National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, has reacted to the boat mishap that claimed the lives of actor Pope Odonwodo and four others in Anam river in Anambra state on Wednesday, April 10.

According to an interview with Vanguard, the state Area manager of NIWA, Suleiman Nicholas, said contrary to the claim that the incident happen in Anam, Anambra West Local Government Area, of the state, the accident actually happened at the Akpaka Area a suburb of Onitsha and Nsugbe Anambra East Local Government Area, when the victims were going to Anam, where they went to shoot a movie.

He disclosed that they were twelve in the ill fated boat, seven of the victims were rescued alive, two were recovered dead while three are still missing and out of the three missing, two are female, while one is male.

He stated that NIWA officials alongside Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria and Marine Police are currently at the scene of the incident in Akpaka Area of Onitsha and Nsugbe, conducting rescue and recovery activities.

Asked if the popular Nollywood actor, John Paul Odobwido, aka Junior Pope was one of the dead victims, he said “my people said Junior Pope was one of the dead".

WIth regards to the likely cause of the accident, the NIWA boss said,

“Whatever you will get now as the cause of the incident may not be accurate, we are waiting for the report from my men who are at the scene of the incident, my men are on the water now to recover the remaining three missing victims”.

Comments

NAGAFF Petitions IGP Over Alleged Extortion, Harassment by Maritime Police at Lagos Ports

The 100% Compliance Team of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) over alleged unlawful conduct, extortion, intimidation, harassment and obstruction of trade by officers of the Maritime Police Command operating around Nigerian seaports. The petition, dated August 14, 2026 and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police at Force Headquarters, Abuja, specifically identified the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa; Tin-Can Island Port and other designated port locations, including bonded terminals, as areas where the alleged misconduct is taking place. In the petition, which was signed by Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, the National Coordinator of 100% Compliance Team, NAGAFF described the situation as a growing impediment to trade facilitation and a factor contributing to the rising cost of doing business in Nigeria. According to the association, freight forwarding practitioners have, over a sustained period, repo...

NCS Medical Team Trains Apapa Area Command Officers On First Aid

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) medical team yesterday trained officers and men of the Apapa Area Command on basic first aid training. ‎ ‎The Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba according to a press release issued by the public relations officer of the command, Superintendent of Customs SC JT Ayagbalo described the initiative as a crucial investment in workplace safety and operational readiness. ‎ ‎In his welcome address, Comptroller Oshoba emphasized that the programme reflects the priority placed on staff welfare by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR. ‎ ‎He described first aid knowledge as a universal life skill that every adult should possess, especially officers as they are frequently exposed to high-risk operational environments. ‎ ‎ Oshoba noted that simple but timely interventions such as; CPR, bleeding control, choking relief and stroke recognition often determine whether a victim survives, fully recov...

NCS Seizes 13 Containers of Unwholesome Imports

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command has intercepted 13 containers with over 7.6 tonnes of cannabis sativa, 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup, security-sensitive drones and large quantities of expired consumer and pharmaceutical products. The Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, PhD, MFR, disclosed this during a press briefing held at the Apapa Area Command in the presence of the Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba and heads of other sister agencies earlier today, 10th September, 2026, according to CGC, the seized consignments have a combined duty-paid value of ₦43.59 billion. He said the seizures were made as a result of sustained intelligence-led operations supported by enhanced cargo profiling, risk assessment, documentary scrutiny and targeted physical examination. "The containers behind me are not an isolated event and they should not be reported as one; the Service’s mandate extends beyond revenue c...

Maritimegistplus

Search This Blog