JUST IN: Anthony Joshua’s driver arrested over fatal Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed that the driver of the Lexus SUV in which British-Nigerian boxing star Anthony Joshua was travelling is now in custody as part of the ongoing investigation into the high-profile road accident that shocked the nation.

DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the command’s public relations officer, disclosed the development on Thursday, saying the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision is continuing.

The announcement follows a fatal crash on 29 December 2025 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway near Makun, in Ogun State, in which the Lexus SUV conveying Joshua collided with a stationary truck.

Two occupants of the vehicle, identified as Latif “Latz” Ayodele, Joshua’s personal trainer, and strength and conditioning coach Sina Ghami, both in their mid-30s, died at the scene.

Joshua and others in the vehicle survived, with the former world heavyweight champion sustaining minor injuries.

Eyewitness accounts and early agency reports indicated that the Lexus was travelling above the legal speed limit and lost control while attempting to overtake another vehicle, hitting a parked truck on the busy corridor.

Preliminary findings by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) also suggested the crash stemmed from excessive speed and wrongful overtaking manoeuvres, a frequent hazard on Nigerian highways.

Joshua was subsequently treated at Duchess International Hospital, Lagos, and has since been discharged, local authorities confirmed.

He was later seen visiting the funeral home in Lagos alongside his mother to pay respects to the two deceased friends before their repatriation.

According to police and traffic officials, the driver of the Lexus, who had been hospitalised after the crash, was discharged and subsequently taken into custody as part of the investigation.

He is expected to provide a detailed statement to authorities while prosecutors assess potential charges, including those related to reckless driving under Nigerian law.

Anthony Joshua, 36, is a two-time former world heavyweight boxing champion who was in Nigeria following a recent bout in Miami against Jake Paul.

He retains deep family ties to the country through his heritage and had been travelling with close associates at the time of the crash.