Former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua is in a stable condition in hospital after being involved in a car accident in southwestern Nigeria that killed two close friends and associates.
Matchroom Boxing confirmed police and media reports that Joshua was caught up in the crash on a major highway linking Lagos and Ibadan earlier in the day. The promoter said Joshua’s friends and members of his team, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, also known as "Latz", were killed in the incident.
“Anthony Joshua was taken to hospital for checks and treatment,” Matchroom said in a statement. “He is in a stable condition and will remain there for observation. Our deepest condolences and prayers are with the families and friends of all those affected, and we ask that their privacy is respected at this incredibly difficult time.”
Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn said: "With the heaviest of hearts. Two great men. Rest in eternal peace Sina and Latz. My thoughts and deepest prayers are with everyone."
A spokesperson for Joshua said Ghami and Ayodele were "integral" to the boxer's team, adding the news of their deaths was "truly shocking and devastating".
Images circulating on social media showed Joshua, shirtless and visibly shaken, sitting inside a damaged vehicle with broken glass scattered across the seats. The boxer, a British national of Nigerian heritage, is known to spend time in the country, particularly in the southwest where his family has roots.
Police in Ogun state said the circumstances surrounding the crash were under investigation. The accident occurred at around 11am local time in the town of Makun, along the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, one of Nigeria’s most heavily trafficked roads.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said the Lexus vehicle Joshua was travelling in was suspected to have been exceeding the speed limit when it lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre and collided with a truck by the side of the road. A witness, however, disputed the official account, saying the truck was not stationary at the time of the crash.
“People rushed to help without even knowing who was inside the car,” said Kunle, a 27-year-old who was at the scene. “It was only when we got closer that we realised it was Anthony Joshua.”
Photos released by the FRSC showed a badly damaged black SUV and what appeared to be blood on the roadway.
Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, said he had spoken to Joshua and his mother, adding that Ogun state governor Dapo Abiodun was at the hospital and had assured him the boxer would receive the best possible care.
Tributes also came from the boxing world. Jake Paul, whom Joshua knocked out earlier this month in a high-profile bout in Miami, said: “Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”
Joshua, a former Olympic champion and two-time unified world heavyweight titleholder, has recently been linked with a potential blockbuster bout against fellow Briton Tyson Fury.
