Joshua, 36, was discharged from hospital on Dec. 31, two days after the Dec. 29 accident that killed his strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami, and personal trainer Latif "Latz" Ayodele. The former two-time heavyweight world champion shared his first message since the tragedy on Sunday, Jan. 4, posting on Instagram.
The photo showed Joshua standing alongside his mother, as well as the mothers of Ghami and Ayodele. He accompanied the image with a short but emotional caption that read, "My brother's keeper," followed by heart emojis. The BBC reported that the post marked his first public acknowledgment of the devastating loss.
According to local outlets including The Punch, The Daily Sun and The Guardian, Joshua was a passenger in a Lexus SUV that collided with a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the Makun area of Nigeria. The crash occurred at around 11 a.m. local time. Joshua was reportedly in Nigeria to spend the holiday season with family, the BBC noted.
The fatal accident came just 10 days after Joshua's high-profile victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. That bout, which streamed on Netflix, had marked a major moment in Joshua's recent career resurgence.
BBC reports stated that the driver of the SUV, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, has since been charged with several offenses, including deadly dangerous driving, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care, and operating a vehicle without a valid driver's license. Kayode, 46, was granted bail and is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 20. The London Evening Standard reported that Kayode had been a long-serving member of Joshua's Nigerian logistics team.
In the aftermath of the crash, Lagos State Commissioner for Information Gbenga Omotoso said on X that Joshua was deeply affected by the loss, describing him as heavy-hearted and overwhelmed with emotion.
The BBC also reported that funeral services for Ghami and Ayodele were held on Sunday at a mosque in London, as family, friends and members of the boxing community gathered to pay their final respects.
