Actor Junior Pope was laid to rest in his hometown of Ikpogwu Ukehe in Nsukka, Enugu State, on Friday, amid heightened security measures.
The 43-year-old’s body arrived in his village early on Friday, followed by a funeral service at Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, Ukehe. During the service, the officiating priest delivered a brief sermon and prayed for the grieving family, echoing the words, “the Lord gives and the Lord taketh.”
Emotions ran high as family, friends, and colleagues shed tears while Junior Pope’s body, encased in a white casket, was lowered into the ground in his compound after the church service. The burial site was heavily guarded by security operatives, including police and local vigilante groups, who ensured that unauthorized persons were prevented from taking pictures or recording videos.
Prominent celebrities such as Zubby Michael, Ruby Ojiakor, Linc Edochie, Queen Wokoma, Chinwe Owoh, Rita Edochie, and others were in attendance to pay their respects.
Junior Pope, whose real name was JohnPaul Odonwodo, married Jennifer Awele in November 2014, and together they had three children. Tragically, he drowned alongside four others on April 10.
