Two close friends and team members of British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, have been killed in a fatal road accident in Nigeria in which the boxer was also injured, according to reports from BBC Sport. The crash occurred on Monday along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway when the vehicle carrying Joshua, Ghami, Ayodele and another passenger collided with a stationary commercial truck. Ogun State authorities said Joshua was stable, conscious and did not require emergency medical assistance, while Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed that two occupants died at the scene and others were rescued by the boxer’s security team.
Joshua’s promoters, Matchroom Boxing, confirmed the deaths in a statement, saying: “With profound sadness it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele have tragically passed away.” They added that Joshua sustained injuries and was taken to hospital for observation, while offering condolences to the families of the deceased. Tributes have poured in from across the boxing world, with Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn describing them as “two great men,” and boxer Chris Eubank Jr saying: “Thank god our heavyweight champ survived that horrible car crash. And pray for the two fallen soldiers Latz & Sina & their families.” The FRSC said preliminary findings suggest the Lexus vehicle may have been travelling above the speed limit and lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre before hitting the parked truck.