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Africa Live: Nollywood star Junior Pope dies in boat accident - BBC News Africa Live: Nollywood star Junior Pope dies in boat accident - BBC News
(32 minutes later)
Nollywood actor Junior Pope Odonwodo, popularly known as Jnr Pope has died in a boat accident while traveling to film a movie in Nigeria's Delta state, his fellow actors have said. The Johannesburg High Court has postponed the hearing of a bid by South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma's to privately prosecute current leader Cyril Ramaphosa.
The film star was earlier reported to have survived the accident when doctors attempted to resuscitate him in a hospital. The court on Thursday adjourned the case to 6 August.
"It's so so sad that our joy was short lived. Two notable hospitals tried their best to revive him but to no avail. We finally lost him," Emeka Rollas Ejezie, the president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), posted on Facebook. Mr Zuma is seeking to prosecute President Ramaphosa for failing to act against prosecutor Billy Downer and journalist Karen Maughan for allegedly disclosing his medical details, which were contained in court documents during his corruption trial.
Videos shared on social media showed rescuers carrying the actor, who appeared unconscious, out of River Niger where the incident happened late Wednesday. The former president argues that the alleged leak was in violation of the law.
Hours before the accident, the 39-year-old actor had shared a video of him and four others on his Instagram page travelling to the movie location on a boat. Last year, President Ramaphosa successfully asked the court to block the prosecution.
He was heard expressing concerns about the lack of safety measures and praying for a safe journey. Mr Zuma then challenged the decision at the Supreme Court of Appeal, but he was dismissed, with the court arguing that the prosecution of the president would be unlawful and unconstitutional.
Junior Pope has acted in more than 150 Nollywood movies and is best known for playing roles of a criminal, villain, a bodyguard and a hitman. Mr Zuma is seeking to overturn that court decision, which would allow him to pursue legal action against his successor.
Fellow actors have taken to social media to mourn him.
Nollywood is still reeling from the loss of two other industry stars, John Okafor, better known as Mr Ibu and Amaechi Muonagor.
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