The British two-time former world heavyweight champion boxer Anthony Joshua, is in a “stable” condition in hospital after being involved in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two people who were close friends and team members, his promoter said.
Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing said on X that Joshua “sustained injuries in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment” and he will “remain there for observation”.
It named Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele as the two passengers who had “tragically passed away”.
Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, who were both long-term friends of the former two-time unified world heavyweight champion, also had roles on his team.
Ghami acted as strength and conditioning coach while Ayodele was a trainer.
Just hours before the crash, Joshua and Ayodele both posted footage on their Instagram accounts of them playing table tennis.
Photos on social media showed Joshua being extricated from a wrecked vehicle while he was wincing in pain.
“Following thorough clinical evaluations, medical professionals have confirmed that both patients (hospitalised after the accident) are stable and do not require any emergency medical intervention at this time,” a joint statement by Lagos and Ogun State governments said.
The Lagos State commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso, confirmed the accident in a post on X, adding that the government had sent ambulances to the crash site.
The crash occurred at around 11am local time on the the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a major thoroughfare which links Ogun State to Lagos, the country’s economic capital – Nigeria is the homeland of Joshua’s parents.
Ogun State Police earlier said in a statement: “The vehicle conveying Mr Joshua, a Lexus SUV, was involved in the accident under circumstances that are currently being investigated. Joshua, seated in the rear of the vehicle, sustained minor injuries and is receiving medical attention with another injured person.”
According to Olusegun Ogungbemide, spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps, preliminary investigations indicated the vehicle was “travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor, lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre, and crashed into a stationary truck,” which was by the side of the road.
It is understood that the driver of the Lexus Jeep, who also survived the crash, was locally hired and not a friend or family member.
Joshua beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on December 19 in a bout in Miami, which he was using to regain sharpness in the ring. He lost the world heavyweight title in 2021 to Oleksandr Usyk.
“Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident,” Paul said on Monday.
Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, has also called Joshua in the hospital, with the president confirming this on X.
“I spoke with AJ on the phone to personally convey my condolences over the death of his two associates,” the president wrote.
“I wished him a full and speedy recovery, and prayed with him. AJ assured me he is receiving the best possible care. I also spoke with his mother and prayed for her. She was deeply appreciative of the call.”
No further details on Joshua’s condition were given.
“Anthony Joshua is in an undisclosed hospital being treated for his injuries,” Lanre Ogunlowo, the commissioner of police for Ogun State, told AP. He said he has no further information on the injuries.
Hearn had earlier told Daily Mail Sport that he was “away on a family holiday and awoke to the news of this incident.
“We are trying to contact Anthony, and in the meantime, we don’t want to speculate on how he is, but thankfully, he appears OK from what I have seen in the images.”
Joshua briefly went to boarding school in Nigeria at the age of 11. He returned there for the first time in 17 years in 2019, ahead of a fight against Andy Ruiz Jr.
Joshua has been in talks to fight fellow Brit Tyson Fury in 2026.
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