A Nigerian man reveals that Jnr Pope’s family must provide N30 – N40 million for traditional rites so he can be buried away from the river.
He revealed this in a live video on Instagram, where he claims it is the norm for people who died by the riverside.
According to him, when somebody drowns in water, the river spirits are entitled to the body and if the family decides to bury them elsewhere, there will be consequences. 
However, he says they can settle the river spirits but even at that, it is not a foolproof method to avoid the risks.
The eyewitness who was at the scene of the accident claimed Jnr Pope’s family are aware of the customs and refused to bury him at the river.
The river people did not cause trouble with them or try to get the body from them, only informing them of the consequences of their decision.
