December 31: British former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua was injured in a car accident in Nigeria’s Ogun State that killed two of his close friends, authorities and his promoter said on Monday.
Joshua, 36, sustained minor injuries when the vehicle he was travelling in collided with another car on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, the Ogun State Police Command said, adding that the cause of the crash was under investigation.
Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said five men were involved in the accident. Two people died, two escaped unhurt and Joshua suffered minor injuries.
“With profound sadness it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, have tragically passed away,” promoter Matchroom Boxing said in a statement. The company said Joshua was taken to hospital for checks and treatment, adding that he was stable and would remain under observation.
President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy to Joshua and the families of the victims, describing the incident as a “tragic accident.” The FRSC said preliminary findings suggested the vehicle was likely speeding when it lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre and crashed into a stationary truck parked by the roadside.
“The primary causes of the crash being excessive speed and wrongful overtaking constitute serious traffic violations and remain among the leading causes of fatal road crashes on Nigerian highways,” the agency said in a post on X.
Officials have not said who was driving the car in which Joshua was travelling. Joshua could not immediately be reached for comment. Born in Britain to British-Nigerian parents, Joshua attended boarding school in Ikenne, Nigeria, before returning to Britain at the age of 12.
The accident came just over a week after Joshua knocked out American social media personality Jake Paul in the sixth round of a bout in Miami. Paul expressed his condolences on X, saying he was “praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”
Joshua had returned to the ring after a 15-month layoff and is expected to face long-time rival and fellow Briton Tyson Fury in 2026.
