Anthony Joshua opens up after Nigeria crash kills two close team members
Joshua had been in Nigeria over the New Year period when the accident occurred in Makun, Ogun State, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, according to Nigerian police. He was travelling as a rear-seat passenger in a Lexus Jeep that struck a stationary truck parked by the roadside.
Photographs later shared online by bystanders showed Joshua still inside the damaged vehicle, surrounded by shattered glass. He was treated in hospital for minor injuries and later discharged.
Two other occupants of the vehicle died at the scene. Authorities identified them as Kevin Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, both 36, who had been part of Joshua’s support team for several years.
The men Joshua lost
Ayodele and Ghami had worked closely with Joshua in recent months, including during preparations for his most recent fight, a sixth-round knockout victory over Jake Paul. Their deaths were described by those close to the boxer as a deeply personal loss rather than a professional setback.
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After returning to the UK, Joshua posted a photograph on Instagram showing himself sitting with friends, one holding a framed picture of Ghami. He later shared a written message thanking supporters “for all the love and care you have shown my brothers,” adding that he “didn’t even realise how special they are”.
How a private conversation entered the public sphere
While still in Nigeria, Joshua spoke by FaceTime with former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. A short segment of that conversation later appeared in a behind-the-scenes vlog filmed at an AKO MMA event in Lagos.
In the clip, Joshua addressed the loss directly. “Obviously, two of my close friends passed away. It still hasn’t sunk in. It still hasn’t hit me yet,” he said.
Usman responded by commenting on the reaction to the crash, saying: “You scared the world. It’s crazy because, obviously, we deal with the haters and all the bulls**** each and every time.”
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Joshua later added: “Life is short, man. And now look, I get to speak with you for the first time.”
The release of the footage drew criticism online, with many questioning the decision to make public a private conversation recorded during a period of mourning.
You can see the clip here.
Responsibility acknowledged
Usman later removed the video and issued an apology on X, saying the conversation had been recorded while cameras were running throughout the day and that he failed to review the footage properly before publication.
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“After seeing what’s being written it’s quite heartbreaking,” he wrote, adding that the incident was “a big L on me”.
Legal case moves separately
In a separate development, Nigerian prosecutors have charged the driver of the vehicle, Adeniyi Kayode, 47, with dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving, and driving without a valid licence.
Kayode has denied the charges. His lawyers have said the vehicle’s brakes failed and described the crash as an accident.
Sources: Nigerian police statements, Instagram posts, X statements, publicly released video footage
