The vehicle swerved and hit a truck that was parked on the roadside.
Ten days after a celebrated victory in the ring, Anthony Joshua found himself at the center of a far graver kind of reckoning — not one of sport, but of loss. On the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Nigeria, a moment of excessive speed and mechanical failure claimed the lives of two of his closest companions, Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele, while Joshua himself was left injured and hospitalized. The driver now faces potential prosecution, the truck driver remains at large, and a boxer who had returned home to rest must instead reckon with grief. In the space between triumph and tragedy, life reasserts its indifference to timing.
- Two men — long-time friends and team members of Anthony Joshua — were killed when their SUV, traveling at excessive speed, suffered a tire blowout and slammed into a stationary truck on a Nigerian expressway.
- Joshua, seated behind the driver, survived with injuries described as minor, though the full picture of his condition has not been made public, and he remains under observation at Nigeria's top private hospital.
- The driver of the SUV, now discharged from hospital, is cooperating with police and faces potential reckless driving charges, while the truck driver fled the scene and is being actively sought by authorities.
- Investigators from Ogun State's traffic agency have identified overspeeding as the primary cause, with the tire failure serving as the catastrophic trigger that left the driver unable to control the vehicle.
- Joshua's planned return to training — and a scheduled March fight, likely against Rico Verhoeven — now hangs in uncertainty as grief, recovery, and legal proceedings converge on what was meant to be a quiet family holiday.
Anthony Joshua's driver has been discharged from hospital and is now cooperating with Nigerian police, facing potential prosecution for reckless driving after a crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway killed two of the boxer's closest friends. Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele — both long-time companions and integral members of Joshua's team — died when the SUV they were traveling in struck a stationary truck. Joshua, seated behind the driver, sustained injuries described as minor and was transported to Duchess International Hospital in Lagos, where he remains under observation accompanied by his mother.
Preliminary findings by Ogun State's Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency established that the vehicle was traveling at excessive speed when the front passenger-side tire burst, causing the driver to lose control and swerve into the parked truck. Eyewitnesses described a two-vehicle convoy; bystanders immediately began rescue efforts, and Federal Road Safety Corps officials arrived within minutes. Video footage showed Joshua being removed from the wreckage in visible pain before being transferred to a police cruiser. The driver of the truck fled the scene and is being sought by authorities.
A statement on Joshua's behalf confirmed the deaths, described both men as irreplaceable, and asked for privacy for their families. The crash occurred just ten days after Joshua defeated Jake Paul in Miami, during what was intended to be a one-week family holiday in Nigeria before resuming training for a March bout. Those plans, and the quieter purpose of the trip, have been overtaken entirely by grief.
Anthony Joshua's driver has been discharged from a Nigerian hospital and is now cooperating with police, facing potential prosecution for reckless driving following a crash that killed two of the boxer's closest friends. The collision occurred on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Makun, Nigeria, when the SUV carrying Joshua struck a stationary truck. Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele, both integral members of Joshua's team and long-time companions, died in the impact. Joshua himself sustained injuries described as minor, though sources suggest the full extent of his condition may not yet be public.
According to a spokesperson for Nigeria's Police Force, the driver provided his statement after being released from medical care. Separately, the driver of the truck involved in the collision has fled the scene and is now being sought by authorities. The preliminary investigation, conducted by Ogun State's Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, established a clear sequence of events: the SUV was traveling at excessive speed when the front tire on the passenger side burst. This failure caused the driver to lose control, and the vehicle then swerved into the parked truck. A spokesperson for the agency told reporters that overspeeding was the primary factor, compounded by the tire failure that left the driver unable to maintain the vehicle's trajectory.
Eyewitness accounts paint a picture of a two-vehicle convoy—a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV—traveling together. Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another passenger beside him and a fourth occupant in the front passenger seat. His security detail was traveling in the vehicle behind. After the crash, bystanders and other motorists immediately began rescue efforts, flagging down passing vehicles for assistance. Within minutes, officials from the Federal Road Safety Corps arrived at the scene. Video footage captured Joshua being removed from the wreckage, visibly in pain as he was transferred into a police cruiser.
Joshua was transported to Duchess International Hospital in Lagos, widely regarded as Nigeria's premier private medical facility. The hospital has held that ranking for two consecutive years. He remains there under observation, accompanied by his mother, Yeta Odusanya, who rushed to his bedside after learning of the accident. Hospital sources indicate he will likely remain for at least several more days. The facility offers a specialized VIP service called the Harley Street Practice, located on its sixth floor, which provides round-the-clock one-to-one care, gourmet meals tailored to patient preference, and access to dedicated medical and hospitality staff. Royal Suite packages begin at £2,000 per day.
A statement released on Joshua's behalf confirmed the deaths and described both men as close friends and essential members of his team. The statement requested privacy for the families as they process what was described as shocking and devastating news. Joshua's representatives indicated he is in stable condition and will remain hospitalized for continued observation, with no further details to be released at that time.
The crash occurred just ten days after Joshua defeated Jake Paul in Miami. The boxer had traveled to Nigeria for a one-week holiday to visit family, with plans to resume training for a scheduled fight in late March, likely against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Saudi Arabia, with a potential subsequent bout against Tyson Fury slated for September or October. The accident has disrupted those plans and cast a shadow over what was meant to be a period of rest and family time.
Citações Notáveis
From the preliminary investigation that was conducted, definitely there was overspeeding on the part of the SUV Anthony Joshua was travelling in. In the course of that, the front tyre on the passenger side burst.— Babatunde Akinbiyi, Ogun State's Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency
Both were close friends and integral members of Anthony's team. We respectfully ask that space and privacy be given to the families at this time while they process this truly shocking and devastating news.— Joshua's representative
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
What exactly happened in those moments before the truck?
The SUV was moving too fast down the expressway. Then the front tire on the passenger side gave way—just burst. Once that happened, the driver had no way to correct course. The vehicle swerved and hit a truck that was parked on the roadside.
Was the truck driver involved in any way, or just in the wrong place?
He was parked there. But he fled immediately after the collision. Police are still looking for him. It's unclear whether he'll face charges or if this is simply a matter of fear and panic.
The driver of Joshua's car—what's his situation now?
He's been released from the hospital and is giving his statement to police. He's facing potential reckless driving charges. Whether that sticks depends on what the investigation reveals about his role in the overspeeding.
How serious are Joshua's injuries, really?
Officially, minor. But there's skepticism in Nigeria about that assessment. He's in one of the country's best hospitals, under observation for at least a few more days. His mother is there. That level of caution suggests people are taking it seriously.
What were Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele to him?
Close friends. Team members. People he'd worked with for years. Not casual acquaintances. Their deaths are the real weight of this story—two people who were integral to his life and career, gone in an instant.
Does this change anything about his fight schedule?
Everything changes now. He was supposed to fight in late March, then face Tyson Fury later in the year. None of that is certain anymore. He's recovering from injuries, processing grief, and dealing with the aftermath of an investigation.