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The driver of the vehicle carrying British boxing star Anthony Joshua has been taken into police custody following a fatal road accident in Nigeria, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
The crash occurred on Monday on the busy Lagos–Ibadan expressway in southwest Nigeria, when a Lexus SUV carrying Joshua and three others slammed into a stationary truck. Two of Joshua’s friends — Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami — were killed instantly.
Joshua and the driver escaped with minor injuries and were treated in hospital.
Ogun State police spokesman Oluseyi Babaseyi told AFP that the driver was detained after being discharged from medical care. “The driver is currently in custody in connection with the Anthony Joshua accident,” Babaseyi said. “Investigations
are ongoing.”
When asked whether charges were imminent, police declined to comment further, stating that the investigation remains “discreet for now.”
Early findings suggest the crash may have been caused by excessive speed and a tyre burst. Ogun State’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) previously told AFP that the SUV was travelling at high speed when one of its tyres failed, causing the driver to lose control before colliding with the parked truck.
The deaths of Ayodele and Ghami sent shockwaves through Joshua’s inner circle. On Wednesday, after being released from hospital, the former heavyweight champion was seen alongside his mother at a funeral home, where the bodies of his friends were being prepared for repatriation.
A government source later indicated that the remains may have already been flown back to the United Kingdom. Joshua’s current whereabouts have not been disclosed.
The incident has reignited concerns over road safety on one of Nigeria’s busiest highways, which has long been plagued by speeding, poor vehicle maintenance and stationary heavy vehicles.
For now, the focus remains on the ongoing investigation, as authorities work to determine responsibility for the crash that claimed two lives and narrowly spared one of Britain’s most famous athletes.
(with AFP inputs)
