A video has emerged appearing to show the moments before a car crash that nearly killed boxer Anthony Joshua and took the lives of two of his close friends.
The British former world heavyweight champion, 36, was a passenger in a Lexus SUV that collided with a stationary truck in Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday (December 29).
Joshua was injured and taken to hospital for treatment. He suffered from minor injuries and is in a “stable condition”, according to boxing promoter Matchroom Boxing.
But his friends and boxing coaches Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele died in the crash.
They were “integral members” of Joshua’s team.
Mr Ayodele posted a video on Snapchat of them arriving in Nigeria before the deadly incident.
In the video, Mr Ayodele and Mr Ghami are seen walking out of an airport before getting into a car. Mr Ghami jokes that this is the second time he’s been to Nigeria. He said: “Two times this year it’s crazy.”
It then shows them driving across a bridge from inside a car.
Mr Ghami co-founded Evolve Gym in Ruislip, London, in 2017. The sports centre closed today, December 30, to mourn his death.
The Ogun State Government told the Daily Mail in a statement: “The Ogun State Government has expressed profound condolences to the families, friends, and associates of the victims of a tragic road accident involving world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, who narrowly escaped death on Monday.
“Preliminary reports indicate that two male foreign nationals died on the spot. Their remains have since been deposited at the Livewell Morgue in Sagamu.
“Anthony Joshua and the driver of the vehicle were promptly rescued by security personnel attached to his convoy and taken to a hospital, where they are currently receiving medical attention.
“The sport utility vehicle conveying the occupants was said to have rammed into a stationary truck along the expressway.”
Joshua was reportedly in Nigeria to visit relatives. He had just returned to Britain before jetting off to Lagos after he won in a fight against YouTuber Jake Paul. The battle was aired on Netflix and watched by more than 30 million people.
