Nigerian police charge Anthony Joshua

The driver of a car who suffered a fatal accident while transporting British boxer Anthony Joshua He has been charged by the Nigerian police with “reckless” and “dangerous driving resulting in death.”

Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was also charged with “driving without a valid national driving licence” and “driving without due care and attention, causing bodily injury and damage to property,” Oluseyi Babaseyi, a police spokesperson in Ogun state, told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

His bail was set at five million naira, or about $3,500, with two sureties, but he will remain in custody until he meets bail conditions, the police spokesperson said. Kayode’s next court appearance is scheduled for January 20.

Road accidents are common in Nigeria. The West African nation recorded 5,421 deaths in 9,570 traffic accidents in 2024, according to data from its Federal Road Safety Commission. News themezone previously reported.

Kayode was driving Joshua, a former two-time heavyweight champion, and two friends in a Lexus van on a busy highway linking Lagos and Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria, on December 29. The vehicle collided with a stationary truck.

The Traffic Control and Enforcement Agency on the stretch of road in Ogun State where the accident occurred told News earlier in the week that its preliminary investigations showed the vehicle was moving at excessive speed and had a burst tire before the collision.

Joshua’s friends, identified as Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, died at the scene, police said. Ghami was Joshua’s long-time strength and conditioning coach, while Ayodele was his personal trainer, according to British media. Joshua and Ayodele had posted videos of themselves playing table tennis on social media just hours before the accident.

Joshua and Kayode suffered minor injuries, authorities said. Photos after the accident showed Joshua sitting in the back of the car shirtless and surrounded by broken glass, but apparently uninjured.

Joshua’s promoter said he was kept under observation at the Lagoon Hospital in Lagos while he recovered from minor injuries and was discharged on New Year’s Eve.

Joshua was born in Britain to Nigerian parents and frequently visits the African nation. The accident occurred nine days after he defeated YouTube personality Jake Paul in a non-title fight in Miami.