An uncle of former world boxing champion Anthony Joshua, Adedamola Joshua, has alleged that bystanders stole the boxer’s phone at the scene of the road accident that claimed the lives of two of his friends, describing the incident as deeply traumatising for the family.
Speaking in an interview, Adedamola said the family learned of the crash hours later and was thrown into shock by the news, noting that Joshua had arrived in Nigeria just six hours before the accident while travelling to Sagamu to spend time with relatives.
He criticised the conduct of some onlookers at the scene, saying, “Some Nigerians act badly at accident scenes. When they are supposed to help, you will see them bringing out their phones to make videos and even steal from the victims… We even heard that Anthony Joshua’s phone was stolen during the accident; such attitudes must be discouraged.”
Adedamola also condemned what he described as poor emergency response, stressing that the boxer should not have been made to move unaided after the crash. “To see Joshua crossing the median after the accident when he was supposed to be on a stretcher was distressing,” he said, adding that better emergency preparedness was needed on major highways.
While expressing gratitude to the Ogun and Lagos state governments and President Bola Tinubu for supporting the family and ensuring Joshua received medical care, he said the tragedy had cast a shadow over the festive period.
“How can you celebrate when your son is in the hospital and two of his friends… are being taken back in body bags?” he asked, noting that although the family was relieved Joshua had been discharged, the loss of his friends remained a profound source of pain.