In a twist of fate, former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua narrowly avoided death when a car crash in Nigeria claimed the lives of two of his friends, Daily Mail reports.
The 36-year-old boxer reportedly moved from the front passenger seat to the back of his SUV just moments before the accident. The victims, Sani Ghami and Latif Adeyole, had only hours earlier arrived in Nigeria for a holiday.
Joshua’s driver, Kayode Adeniyi, 47, appeared in court on Friday, facing charges including dangerous driving. Dressed in a black kaftan, Adeniyi pleaded not guilty, insisting that the crash resulted from a brake failure, not driver error. Adeniyi, who has worked for Joshua for over three years, was granted bail and later escorted to Sagamu Correctional Centre for documentation.
According to Adeniyi’s lawyer, Olalekan Abiodun, the tragic incident was an accident. He explained that the journey began in Lagos and that Joshua initially sat in the front seat. However, he was later asked to move to the back because his size obstructed the driver’s view of the wing mirror. One of Joshua’s friends then took the front seat—the side of the vehicle that bore the brunt of the impact.
Outside the courtroom, Adeniyi’s family was visibly shaken. While his wife could not speak, his 19-year-old son, Ifeoluwa, defended his father, describing the incident as a heartbreaking accident. “The family is very upset by what’s happened, and we are sorry for the deaths of the two people,” he said.
The shocking crash has left the sporting world and the public reflecting on how quickly life can change, even for those at the peak of their careers.
