Anthony Joshua pays tribute to friends killed in Lagos crash

Anthony Joshua has spoken publicly for the first time following a car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends and members of his team.

The world heavyweight boxing champion was involved in the crash on Monday, December 29, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. Two passengers in the vehicle, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, died at the scene. Joshua sustained minor injuries.

After receiving treatment, Joshua was discharged from hospital on New Year’s Eve and returned to the United Kingdom on Saturday.

On Sunday, he shared a post across his social media platforms, featuring a photo of himself with the families of Ghami and Ayodele. The caption read: “My Brother’s Keeper ❤️🕊️❤️.”

The image shows Joshua standing with the bereaved families in a show of support. It marked his first public comment since the incident.

Both Ghami and Ayodele are scheduled to be buried later on Sunday.

According to reports, the accident occurred when Joshua’s SUV collided with a stationary truck after an alleged brake failure. The vehicle was carrying Joshua and three others at the time.

Joshua had recently arrived in Nigeria for a holiday following his knockout victory over Jake Paul. He reportedly avoided more serious injury after moving from the front passenger seat to the back shortly before the collision, as his size was obstructing the driver’s view.

He suffered a fracture to his leg but was said to be in stable condition and did not require emergency surgery.