Emeka Rollas, the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), has explained why the guild cannot sue actress Adanma Luke over the death of actor Junior Pope
Junior Pope tragically passed away on April 10, 2024, alongside four crew members after their boat capsized in the River Niger in Asaba, Delta State, while traveling to a movie location. The ill-fated project, titled The Other Side of Life, was produced by Adanma Luke, who has since been suspended by the AGN.
In a recent update, Rollas revealed that legal constraints prevented the guild from pursuing a lawsuit. Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, he stated that the AGN could not sue because Junior Pope was not a dues-paying member of the guild at the time of his death. Additionally, the contract the late actor signed with the producer only grants his immediate family or spouse the right to take legal action.
“Regarding Junior Pope, I previously mentioned plans to sue. However, after consulting with our legal adviser, we discovered that the AGN lacks the standing to initiate a lawsuit. The contract specifies that only his direct family or wife has the right to sue the producer,” Rollas explained.
He also used the opportunity to discuss ongoing efforts to restructure the guild. “We are working on creating a more robust structure for the guild, drawing inspiration from best practices we observed during a recent trip to Los Angeles. One key change will be the introduction of actor licensing. We also found that Junior Pope, despite his prominence, had not paid guild dues for over a year prior to his death. This highlights the need for better organization within the guild,” Rollas added.
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