Emeka Rollas, the president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), has clarified why the Association could not take legal action against actress Adanma Luke following the tragic death of actor Junior Pope and four others.
Junior Pope died on April 10, 2024, alongside four crew members when their boat capsized in the River Niger in Asaba, Delta State, while en route to a movie set produced by Adanma Luke.
In the aftermath of the incident, the AGN suspended Adanma Luke, but Rollas has now shed light on the legal complexities surrounding the case. Speaking in an interview on Arise TV, he revealed that the AGN was not in a position to sue, as only the deceased actor’s immediate family had the legal standing to do so.
“Regarding Junior Pope, when I first mentioned that we were planning to sue, our legal adviser explained that based on the contract Junior Pope signed with the producer, the AGN did not have the authority to take legal action,” Rollas said. “It’s either the direct family or his wife who should pursue the matter with the producer.”
Rollas also touched on the ongoing efforts within the AGN to restructure the guild, noting that many changes were being planned following a recent trip to Los Angeles. He revealed that the guild is working toward licensing actors and addressing membership issues.
“We discovered that, at the time of his death, Junior Pope had not paid his dues for over a year, despite being a prominent actor,” Rollas added. “He was not a current, dues-paying member of the guild.”
The clarification comes as the AGN continues to work on reforms within the industry to ensure better practices and protections for its members.