iDeemlawfulFormer world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has travelled back to the United Kingdom after a fatal road accident in Nigeria that led to the deaths of two close friends and members of his team, Sunday PUNCH reports.
Joshua suffered minor injuries in the crash that claimed the lives of Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele on Monday, December 29. The 36-year-old boxer was discharged from the hospital on New Year’s Eve.
According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Saturday, Joshua has since returned to the UK following the tragic incident.
“Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has flown back to the UK after a fatal car crash that killed two of his close friends in Nigeria,” the BBC report stated.
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The burial ceremonies for Ghami and Ayodele are scheduled to hold on Sunday at the London Central Mosque, as reported by Sky Sports.
The driver involved in the accident, 46-year-old Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, has been charged by the Nigerian police with causing death by dangerous driving and driving without a valid licence, the Ogun State Police Command confirmed on Friday.
Kayode was granted bail in the sum of N5 million and remanded pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions. The matter has been adjourned until January 20.
Kayode’s 19-year-old son, Ifeoluwa Adeniyi, has come out publicly to defend his father, claiming the accident resulted from brake failure and an illegally parked truck.
“Dad is not a fast driver; he was following the speed limit when the brakes failed,” Ifeoluwa told the Daily Mail.
“He said he was pushing the pedal, but nothing was happening. He’s been driving for Anthony for three years; he’s a good driver. It’s not his fault; if the truck wasn’t parked there illegally, this wouldn’t have happened.”
The driver’s legal representative, Olalekan Abiodun, disclosed that Joshua narrowly escaped death due to a last-minute change of seating arrangement.
“I understand that the journey started in Lagos and that initially Anthony had got into the front seat, but the driver asked him to swap seats,” Abiodun told the Daily Mail.
“He did this because Anthony is a big fellow, and he couldn’t see the wing mirror properly, so he asked him to move, and he sat behind the driver. From what I understand, Latif was in front and then changed seats with Anthony.”
Joshua was a passenger in a Lexus SUV that crashed into a stationary truck along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway near Makun. He was reportedly on his way to Sagamu to spend the New Year with relatives when the collision occurred.
The accident happened just 10 days after Joshua recorded a knockout victory over Jake Paul in Miami.
Governors Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State expressed appreciation to Nigerians for their prayers and support following the crash. They also thanked President Bola Tinubu for his assistance during the period.
Both state governments sympathised with the families of the deceased, describing the incident as tragic and deeply painful, and prayed for the eternal repose of the departed souls.
Investigations by the police into the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident are still ongoing.