Anthony Joshua will spend New Year’s Eve in luxury Nigerian hospital recovering from crash that killed his two friends – as police say tyre blowout caused high-speed wreck
Anthony Joshua will spend New Year’s Eve in one of Nigeria’s best hospitals as he continues to recover from the car crash that killed two of his friends.
The two-time heavyweight world champion was a passenger when the black Lexus crashed into a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Makun, Nigeria.
While the deaths of two of his long-time friends, Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele, were confirmed on Monday night, two other passengers of the vehicle miraculously escaped with their lives.
Following the fatal road accident, Joshua was admitted to the Duchess International Hospital in Lagos, which has been rated as the best private hospital in Nigeria for the past two years.
Local police told Daily Mail Sports It was stated that Joshua was ‘stable’ and suffered only ‘minor’ injuries, but there are fears that these injuries may be more severe than advertised.
Sources say Joshua will remain in the hospital for at least a few more days as he continues his recovery.
Anthony Joshua will spend New Year’s Eve in one of Nigeria’s top hospitals as he continues to recover from a car crash that killed two of his friends (pictured above after the car crash)
Joshua receives treatment at the Duchess International Hospital in Nigeria (pictured above)
Named Nigeria’s best private hospital, the Duchess says it offers 24-hour one-on-one care to patients and has private bathrooms
Police investigators confirmed the car crash was caused by a flat tire after Joshua ‘lost control’ of his Lexus.
Accordingly TelegramTraffic police believe the car exceeded the 80 km/h speed limit and lost control during an ‘overtaking manoeuvre’ on the road, which locals claim is one of the deadliest roads in Nigeria.
Nigerian Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (Trace) Police Commander Babatunde Akinbiyi reported that the vehicle’s tire burst due to excessive speed.
An eyewitness also told Punch newspaper: ‘It was a convoy of two vehicles: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV.
Joshua was sitting behind the driver with another person. There was also a passenger sitting next to the driver, resulting in four passengers in the Lexus that crashed. The security team was in the vehicle behind them before the accident.
‘Other bystanders and I began the rescue and flagged down vehicles approaching to assist. ‘A few minutes after the accident, Federal Road Safety Corps officials arrived.’
In the images taken on the roadside, the boxer can be seen grimacing in pain as he is being taken from the wrecked vehicle into the police vehicle.
The Nigerian President revealed on Monday that Joshua’s mother, Yeta Odusanya, rushed to his hospital bedside after receiving news of the accident.
Footage taken on the roadside shows the former world champion boxer grimacing in pain.
Joshua’s mother, Yeta Odusanya, rushed to her son’s bedside in the photo with him in 2019
The luxury hospital has an exclusive service called Harley Street Practice, which is located on the sixth floor and offers Duchess Royal Suites for VIP patients.
Patients receive one-on-one care 24 hours a day and have access to medical and hospitality staff. They also buy gourmet meals that are completely tailored to their taste.
Basic packages for the en-suite Royal Suite start from £2,000.
A representative for Joshua released a statement Monday evening confirming the deaths of two of the boxer’s team members and “close friends.”
The spokesperson said: ‘It is with the deepest and deepest sadness that we confirm this following the deaths of Sina Ghami and Kevin “Lateef” Ayodele following a traffic accident in Lagos, Nigeria earlier today.
‘Both were close friends and integral members of Anthony’s team.
‘We respectfully request that families be given space and privacy at this time as we process this truly shocking and devastating news.
‘Anthony was injured in the accident and was taken to hospital for check-up and treatment, his condition is stable and he will remain there for observation.
‘No further information will be released at this time.’
Joshua is seen with his friends Latif Ayodele (center) and Sina Ghami, who died in the accident
AJ finally looked set to face Tyson Fury in 2026 but that heavyweight bout is in doubt
Joshua’s long-time rival, Tyson Fury, paid tribute to the two men who died in the crash by sharing a post on Instagram on Tuesday.
‘This is so sad,’ Gypsy King wrote on the social media platform. ‘May God give them a nice bed in heaven.’
The accident, which occurred at noon local time, occurred just 10 days after Joshua defeated Jake Paul in Miami.
As the Daily Mail reported on Monday, Joshua was visiting family in Nigeria as part of a week-long holiday to continue training ahead of his planned showdown against Fury in September or October, most likely in Saudi Arabia against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven at the end of March.
While the exact cause of Joshua’s injuries is currently unknown, it is thought to be highly doubtful that he will be able to make a quick return. There will also be psychological trauma, such as the ordeal in which two other passengers in the same vehicle lost their lives.
