Anthony Joshua was discharged from a hospital in southwestern Nigeria after being injured in a car crash that killed two of his close friends, state officials said. The former world heavyweight boxing champion had been traveling Monday along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway when the SUV he was in struck a stationary truck in Ogun state.
Joshua was accompanied by friends identified as Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, who both died in the crash, according to the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE). The agency said preliminary findings indicated the vehicle was traveling at excessive speed and suffered a burst tire before the collision.
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Officials said Joshua left the hospital and, alongside his mother, visited a funeral home where the bodies of his friends were being prepared for repatriation. Authorities did not immediately disclose additional details about Joshua’s injuries or the timeline for repatriation.
Photos released by police showed the mangled remains of a black sports utility vehicle. The collision happened on one of the country’s busiest corridors linking Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, and the city of Ibadan. TRACE said the investigation remains active as officers review the sequence of events that led to the crash.
State officials did not say whether any charges were expected, and there was no immediate information on the truck’s condition before impact beyond its stationary status. Emergency responders and traffic personnel cleared the wreckage to relieve congestion on the highway.
Joshua’s family has roots in the region, and he is known to visit when in Nigeria. Local authorities and community members have previously highlighted the boxer’s ties to the southwest, a factor that drew swift attention to the crash and the loss of his companions.
The 34-year-old boxer, a former unified heavyweight titleholder, has been central to British boxing for the past decade. In December, he knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a Netflix-backed bout in Miami, a high-profile crossover event that extended his commercial reach. Joshua’s last fight before the match with Paul was a fifth-round knockout loss to fellow Briton Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
In recent months, Joshua has been linked to a potential all-British fight against former world champion Tyson Fury, a long-discussed showdown that would carry major box-office appeal. It was unclear Tuesday how the crash and its aftermath might affect any discussions over his next bout or training schedule.
As news of the crash spread, messages of condolence for Ghami and Ayodele circulated on social media. Officials urged drivers to exercise caution on the Lagos-Ibadan route, especially during peak travel periods and amid frequent reports of roadside hazards.
TRACE said it would release more information as the probe progresses. For now, officials emphasized the preliminary nature of their findings and noted that investigators were still collecting statements and reviewing evidence from the scene.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
