Two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has broken his social media silence for the first time since being involved in a fatal car crash in Nigeria earlier this week. The 36-year-old boxer escaped with minor injuries, but the tragic accident on Monday morning claimed the lives of two of his closest friends and long-term team members.
A Tragic Loss on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
The devastating collision occurred on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Makun. Joshua's close friends Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele both lost their lives in the crash. The funerals for the two men are scheduled to take place today, Sunday, January 4, at the London Central Mosque. It has been confirmed that Joshua flew back to the UK from Nigeria on Saturday.
On his Instagram account, the Olympic gold medallist posted his first update since the accident. The poignant image shows Joshua with his mother and three other women, with one of them holding a picture of the late Sina Ghami. He captioned the post simply: ‘My Brothers Keeper ❤️?❤️’.
Remembering Joshua's Fallen Friends
Throughout his boxing career, Anthony Joshua has maintained a tight-knit circle of friends and associates. Both Ghami and Ayodele were integral parts of that inner circle, having worked alongside him for many years.
Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele was a long-time friend and personal trainer who had been part of 'Team AJ' since Joshua's first world title win against Charles Martin in 2016. A dedicated Muslim who converted in 2012, Ayodele's social media was filled with moments from the gym and time spent with Joshua. Just hours before the fatal crash, he shared a video of the pair laughing while playing table tennis.
Sina Ghami served as Joshua's strength and conditioning coach for over a decade and was the co-founder of London's Evolve Gym. A qualified sports rehabilitator, Ghami was at Joshua's side for career-defining moments, including his epic victory over Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in 2017. His final Instagram story appeared to show Joshua's motorcade travelling through Lagos.
Legal Proceedings and a Life-Saving Decision
The driver of the black Lexus SUV involved in the crash, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, appeared at Sagamu High Court where he denied all charges, including dangerous driving. His legal representative stated that Kayode claims the vehicle's brakes failed. In a stunning revelation, his lawyer, Olalekan Abiodun, told the Daily Mail that Joshua was urged to move to the back seat just before the accident because his 6ft 6in frame was blocking the wing mirror—a decision that may have been life-saving for the boxer.
Joshua was discharged from hospital on New Year's Eve. Following the tragedy, his mother, Yeta Odusanya, rushed to his bedside. The pair visited a funeral home in Lagos on Wednesday afternoon to pay their respects before the bodies of Ghami and Ayodele were repatriated to the UK.
A statement from the regional governments of Lagos and Ogun said: ‘Anthony Joshua was discharged from hospital late this afternoon though heavy hearted and full of emotions over the loss of his two close friends he was deemed clinically fit to recuperate from home.’
