The family of heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua says it is deeply saddened by the fatal road crash that killed two of his close friends on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway. The accident happened on Monday near the Makun axis by Danco Filling Station, involving a Lexus SUV carrying Joshua and three others.
Two passengers, Ayodele Kelvin Olu, 36, a Nigerian British citizen, and Gami Sina, 36, a British citizen, died in the crash. Joshua and the driver survived and are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Lagos.
Speaking at the family home in Ijokun, Sagamu, Joshua’s uncle Adedamola Joshua said the incident has thrown the entire family into deep sorrow. He explained that the boxer and his friends had arrived in Nigeria less than six hours before the crash and were travelling to Sagamu to spend the festive season with relatives.
Adedamola said the family is in touch with Joshua’s parents and has been assured he is responding well to treatment. He thanked God for sparing Joshua and the driver but said the loss of the two visitors is a heavy tragedy for the family, Ogun State, Nigeria and boxing fans worldwide.
He appealed to authorities to allow limited family access to Joshua in hospital while still respecting security and medical procedures. Another relative, David Joshua, confirmed that the family has not yet been allowed to see him, but said updates from officials show his condition is stable.
There are currently no plans to fly Joshua abroad for further treatment. A source told Vanguard that the Lagos and Ogun State governments and the British authorities are satisfied with the care he is receiving in Nigeria and have seen improvement.
Ogun State police said a tyre burst caused the accident, revising earlier claims by the Federal Road Safety Corps that excessive speed and wrongful overtaking were to blame. The FRSC had earlier said the SUV was speeding above the limit and lost control while overtaking.
Ogun State governor Dapo Abiodun and Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo Olu have both visited Joshua in hospital, alongside British deputy head of mission Simon Field. The Ogun government said the British High Commission has been fully briefed, is in touch with the hospital and has contacted the families of the deceased.
Officials say Joshua remains in a stable condition and is getting appropriate medical care. The Ogun government has ordered a full investigation into the crash and pledged to release its findings when completed.
Senator Solomon Adeola of Ogun West has also expressed sadness over the crash, calling it a heartbreaking loss of life during the festive season. He described the incident as a dark moment for Ogun State and boxing supporters around the world.
Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan of Kogi Central sent condolences to Joshua and the families of the victims and called for urgent reforms to improve highway safety. She said repeated fatal accidents on Nigerian roads show that better enforcement and stronger emergency response systems are a matter of life and death.
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