Tragedy Strikes Again: Actors Guild of Nigeria Calls for National Prayers After Fatal Movie Set Incident

In yet another heart-wrenching incident, Nollywood has been hit by the untimely deaths of two actors on a movie set in Owerri, Imo State. This follows a growing annual trend of tragic losses that has shaken the Nigerian film industry.

The incident occurred after a drink, allegedly given to the actors by the movie producer, led to their hospitalization. Four actors were rushed to the Federal University Teaching Hospital Owerri, but sadly, two were confirmed dead on arrival. Stanley Ontop, a well-known filmmaker, shared a video capturing the heartbreaking moment, which has left the industry and fans in mourning.

In response to this devastating tragedy, Emeka Rollas, president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), has called for national prayers to break what he describes as a “pattern of mass death” that continues to haunt Nollywood. Rollas made the plea in a post shared on his Instagram, addressing the alarming recurring loss of life in the industry.

“The devil still wants this pattern of mass death repeated on an annual basis,” Rollas wrote, as he called on Nollywood actors and film industry members to join the prayer outing with Pastor Jerry Eze.

The deaths come almost exactly a year after the passing of Junior Pope and three other crew members in Asaba, during the production of The Other Side of Life. Rollas emphasized that while the victims of the recent incident were not AGN members, the recurring tragedies pointed to a deeper, unsettling pattern.

“Barely a week after the memorial service of the late Junior Pope, tragedy struck in Owerri involving two promising actors,” Rollas continued, underscoring how the loss of these lives has once again raised questions about safety and wellbeing in Nollywood.

This call for prayers comes after the Asaba tragedy, which claimed four lives last year, and the AGN's decision that it was impossible to pursue legal action against the producer of the film due to Junior Pope not being a dues-paying member.

With such incidents weighing heavy on the hearts of many in the industry, the AGN hopes that national unity in prayer can help lift the dark cloud that looms over Nollywood and bring comfort to all who have been affected.

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