Anthony Joshua released from hospital after Nigeria crash that killed two friends

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has been released from hospital in Nigeria after a car crash that killed two of his close friends, according to state officials.

Officials said Joshua was traveling on a busy highway linking Lagos and Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria when the SUV he was in struck a stationary truck. Nigerian police said he suffered minor injuries, while the two others in the vehicle died at the scene.

The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) said preliminary findings indicated the vehicle was traveling at excessive speed and had suffered a burst tire before the collision.

Spokespeople for Lagos State and Ogun State said in a joint statement that Joshua was discharged late Wednesday and was considered medically fit to recover at home. They said he was emotionally affected by the loss of his two close friends but stable enough to leave hospital care.

The statement said both state governments had overseen Joshua’s treatment since the crash. After leaving hospital, Joshua and his mother visited a funeral home where the bodies of his friends were being prepared for repatriation.

British media identified the victims as Sina Ghami, described as Joshua’s longtime strength and conditioning coach, and Latif Ayodele, described as his personal trainer.

The report cited Nigeria’s The Guardian, which quoted a senior police officer saying the driver was also discharged from hospital and was being questioned. The same account said the driver could face prosecution for reckless driving, though no further details were provided.

Officials said Joshua, 36, was admitted to Lagos’s Lagoon Hospital, while noting that earlier information from a TRACE official had referenced a different hospital.

The boxer, a British national with family roots in southwestern Nigeria, is known to visit the region when in the country. The report noted Lagos typically sees a surge of visitors each December.

Police photos showed the wreckage of the black SUV. The story also referenced Joshua’s recent boxing activity, including a December knockout win over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a Netflix-backed bout in Miami, and ongoing speculation linking him to a potential fight with fellow Briton Tyson Fury. It added that Joshua’s previous bout before the Paul fight was a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.