Nigerian police have charged Anthony Joshua’s driver with causing death by dangerous driving after a fatal crash that killed two people.
Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was also charged with driving without a valid driving licence and “driving without due care and attention, causing bodily harm and damage to property”. He is due to appear in court on 20 January.
The Federal Road Safety Corps in Nigeria said they believed the vehicle was travelling “beyond the legally prescribed speed limit”.
Kayode was driving the former world heavyweight boxing champion, Joshua, 36, his personal trainer, Latif Ayodele, and strength coach, Sina Ghami, on 29 December on a busy highway linking Lagos and Ibadan in south-west Nigeria.
The Lexus SUV was travelling at high speed when the tyre on the passenger side burst while trying to overtake a vehicle. The Lexus crashed into a stationary lorry carrying soya beans that was illegally parked on the hard shoulder of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, 30 miles from Lagos. Ayodele and Ghami, both 36, died at the scene.
The 46-year-old driver is a longstanding member of the boxer’s team, and was granted bail of 5m naira (£2,580), but will remain in custody until he meets bail conditions.
The driver and Joshua survived with minor injuries, but Kayode was taken to the Lagoon hospital in Ikoyi and kept under observation for two days. After the crash, Joshua and his mother paid their respects to the boxer’s friends at the funeral home.
The accident occurred 10 days after the former world champion celebrated his victory against the YouTuber Jake Paul in the US. Prior to the crash, Joshua was believed to be preparing to return to the boxing ring early this year.
After the crash, the Ogun state government said in a statement: “Anthony Joshua and another passenger were immediately evacuated to a specialised medical facility in Lagos.
“Following comprehensive clinical assessments, doctors have confirmed that both patients are stable and do not require any emergency medical intervention at this time. A full medical team has been assembled and will continue to monitor them closely.”
