BREAKING: ‘We Cannot Continue Like This’
The president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, has expressed sadness over the death of two Nollywood actors, who were not members of the Guild in Owerri, Imo state.
Naija News reports that Nollywood actor, Stanley OnTop, in a post via his Instagram page on Friday, revealed that four actors were rushed to the Federal University Teaching Hospital Owerri and two were pronounced dead on arrival.
He said the two deceased persons and other crew members ate rice and drank wine provided by the unnamed movie director after shooting a movie.
Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer for Imo State Command, DSP Henry Okoye, said investigations had begun to unravel how the two actors died.
Okoye said the movie director and the three other girls have been arrested and are answering questions regarding the incident.
Reacting to the tragic incident in an Instagram post, Rollas said the victims were not affiliated with the AGN and urged actors to join the Guild.
According to Emeka, the incident took place a few days after a memorial service was held for late actor, Junior Pope, who also died during a movie production.
He said, “So sad some actors who are not members of Actors Guild just lost their lives while filming in Owerri.
“We have repeatedly warned that actors must join the Guild to practice in Nollywood.
“Barely a week after the memorial service of our member late Junior Pope, tragedy struck in Owerri involving two promising young actors.
“They are not members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria but this points to two things: the devil still wants this pattern of mass death repeated on an annual basis.
“If not for God the death toll in Owerri could have been four persons. Exactly the same number last year in Asaba. Please let all actors and indeed Nollywood prepare for this year’s prayer outing with pastor Jerry Eze.
“We cannot continue like this. Everywhere in the country people just wake up and equip themselves with cameras and they have become Nollywood.
“This is a bad trend. These people camp themselves in an unhealthy, unverified environment making content. Content creators have to be licensed.”
