The police in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, have recovered three bodies of the victims of a boat mishap, which also claimed the life of popular Nollywood star, Junior Pope Odonwodo.
Boat accident, number of victims
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Odonwodo and other members of a movie set drowned after their boat capsized in Anam River, Anambra State on Wednesday while returning from a shoot.
The National Inland Waterways Authority(NIWA) had earlier said 12 individuals were on the ill-fated boat.
Recovery of bodies
But the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement which was forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, said the police have now recovered the remaining bodies of the three missing Nollywood stars.
Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the bodies were recovered by marine police operatives from Anambra State Police Command.
“Two of the bodies were recovered yesterday, 11 April 2024 while the last was washed in by the tide this (Friday) morning.
“All the bodies have been deposited in a hospital mortuary in Asaba while the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (Emeka Rollas) has been notified of the recovery,” he said.
The statement did not provide the identities of the deceased persons whose bodies were recovered.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Aderemi Adeoye, urged all water commuters to be safety conscious and behaviours that may jeopardise their safety and that of others while on transit on water, the police spokesperson said.
Mr Adeoye assured that the ongoing investigation into the boat accident which killed a total of five people, would be expedited.
The commissioner commended police operatives from the state’s Marine Unit for their dedication to duty.
