British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has been injured in a car crash in Nigeria, which killed two members of his team.
The former world champion was a passenger in a Lexus SUV that collided with a stationary truck on a major expressway in Ogun State, near Lagos.
The two men who died were Joshua’s close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, the boxer’s promoter Matchroom Boxing said in a statement.
It added that Joshua was in a stable condition in hospital, where he was taken for “checks and treatment” and will remain for observation.
Police Commander Babatunde Akinbiyi of Nigeria’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) said early investigations showed the Lexus had been travelling along the highway from Lagos to Sagamu when it “experienced a tyre burst due to excessive speed” and then “lost control”.
Mr Akinbiyi said Joshua and the driver were rescued from the wreckage and taken to a hospital in Sagamu for medical treatment.
The two other passengers – Mr Ghami and Mr Ayodele – were pronounced dead at the scene, Mr Akinbiyi added.
In a statement Matchroom said: “Our deepest condolences and prayers are with the families and friends of all those affected – and we ask that their privacy is respected at this incredibly difficult time.”
The group’s chair, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, paid tribute to the “two great men” who were killed in the crash. “Rest in eternal peace Sina and Latz. My thoughts and deepest prayers are with everyone,” he said.
Boxing expert Steve Bunce described Mr Ghami and Mr Ayodele as “two of Joshua’s closest friends” and as “massive parts of the Anthony Joshua machine”.
“They’ve been with him, if not from the start, at least very early on. Latz is AJ’s personal trainer and Sina is his strength and conditioning man. They are with him all the time,” Bunce told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Hours before the crash, Joshua posted a video to Instagram of himself and Mr Ayodele playing table tennis. Mr Ghami had recently posted on social media from Lagos.
A joint statement from the Ogun and Lagos state governments said Joshua was stable and conscious, and had been in contact with his family.
They said earlier that Joshua had “narrowly escaped death” in the crash, and there will be a “comprehensive investigation” into what happened.
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said he had spoken to the 36-year-old boxer personally to convey his condolences and wish him a “full and speedy recovery”.
“AJ assured me he is receiving the best possible care,” he said in a post on X.
The crash took place on the busy Lagos-Ibadan expressway at around 12:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Monday.
Pictures shared by Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) showed a wrecked car at the site of the crash, with a crowd of onlookers gathered around.
Local officials said Joshua and another man – the vehicle’s driver – were rescued by the boxer’s security team.
Video from the scene showed the boxer being helped out from the back seat of a wrecked SUV.
