Nigerian officials have confirmed Champion boxer Anthony Joshua in ‘stable’ after he was miraculously found alive in the crumpled wreck of a car following a crash that killed two people in Nigeria.
Joshua, 36, was on his way to see family when the Lexus SUV he was travelling in the back of smashed into a stationary truck shortly after 11am today on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Makun, southwest Nigeria.
Images of the SUV’s crumpled wreckage were released by Nigerian officials, while a Mitsubishi believed to be part of Joshua’s convoy sat undamaged just yards away.
Five people were involved in the collision, with photos revealing how the vehicle was completely destroyed, with the car’s doors ripped out and the roof smashed out of place.
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’.
Footage taken from the scene showed the champion boxer giving a thumbs up as officials crowd the wreck of the car.
Joshua pictured after the car crash in Nigeria on Monday which killed two people. The star came within inches of death in the crash
An SUV can be seen completely totalled in grim pictures taken by eyewitnesses, while a Mitsubishi believed to be part of Anthony Joshua’s convoy sits undamaged just yards away
One man could be heard repeating Joshua’s name, as locals were left stunned by the appearance of the British athlete, who beat Jake Paul in a major fight just a few days prior.
Two of the three people who were in the Lexus alongside Joshua died, the boxer miraculously cheated death and was later seen in the front seat of an emergency vehicle speaking to officials.
The Ogun State Government confirmed the two fatalities were ‘foreign nationals’. ‘Preliminary reports indicate that two male foreign nationals died on the spot,’ they said. ‘Their remains have since been deposited at the Livewell Morgue in Sagamu.’
It is understood that Joshua was seated behind the driver, along with another passenger, when the crash occurred. His security detail followed behind the Lexus.
Local police are investigating the incident, but conflicting reports on how the crash happened have emerged from official sources.
The Federal Road Safety Corps said the SUV is believed to have been travelling ‘beyond the legally prescribed speed limit’ and lost control while making ‘an overtaking manoeuvre’, before crashing into a truck parked on the side of the road.
But Ogun State Police Commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo told ESPN: ‘The accident happened as a result of a burst tire on AJ’s vehicle, which caused the driver to lose control and the vehicle to swerve into the stationary truck parked along the road’.
A friend of the star said that ‘he’s okay but badly shaken up’.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told Daily Mail Sport: ‘We are trying to contact Anthony and in the meantime we don’t want to speculate on how he is but thankfully he appears okay from what I have seen in the images.
‘We are awaiting more information on what has happened and will update in due course.’
An eyewitness told Punch newspaper: ‘It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV.
Footage posted online appears to show former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua, 36, shirtless and looking dazed as he sits in a wrecked Lexus SUV among shattered glass
He is later seen sitting in the front seat of an emergency vehicle, speaking to officials. The star cheated death in a horror car crash in Nigeria on Monday, escaping with minor injuries while two other passengers were killed
‘Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him. There was also a passenger sitting beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus that crashed. His security detail was in the vehicle behind them before the crash.
‘Other eyewitnesses and I began the rescue and flagged down oncoming vehicles to assist. A few minutes after the crash, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps arrived.’
Jake Paul, Joshua’s recent rival, tweeted following the news of the crash: ‘Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.’
Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, offered his sympathies following the deadly crash.
He said in a post on X: ‘This immense tragedy casts a deep shadow on this season. I sympathise with you and your family as you bear the emotional weight of this unfortunate incident.
‘As a sportsman, you have always shown courage, discipline, and unwavering love for our country. These are qualities that have made you a source of national pride.
‘I pray for strength, wisdom, and grace for you during this painful period. May God grant you a speedy recovery and repose to the souls of the departed.’
The heavyweight has family roots in Sagamu, a town in Ogun State, Nigeria, and has a tattoo of Africa on his right shoulder.
He is believed to have been on holiday and on the way to see relatives when the accident occurred.
A relative of Anthony Joshua, who asked not to be named, told the BBC they were in ‘shock’ upon hearing the news.
‘We are hoping for his speedy recovery and also the people who passed away – I pray for the departed to rest in peace,’ they said.
‘He’s normally coming around for the new year. We haven’t seen him so we were expecting him.’
Joshua had posted a story on his Instagram account four hours ago, where he is seen topless in a video playing table tennis with his long-time friend Kevin Ayodele.
A truck pictured at the side of the road following the fatal collision in Nigeria on Monday
A large vehicle pictured with a tarpaulin draped over it on Monday afternoon. Five men are believed to have been involved in the crash overall
He accompanied the clip with the message: ‘@healthy_mindset dishing out table tennis smoke.’
Joshua was expected to fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in February next year after his sixth-round knockdown of YouTuber Jake Paul in Miami this month.
He had flown back to Britain after his knockout victory before his pre-planned trip to Nigeria where he was expected to stay for a week.
Joshua pocketed a reported £70million from his fight with Paul, which was viewed by more than 30 million people on Netflix.
The father-of-one, as expected, emerged triumphant – breaking his opponent’s jaw in two places ahead of the final knock-out, although later said he should have won sooner.
Joshua gave Paul credit while speaking to reporters after his victory, admitting it took him ‘a bit longer than expected’ to stop the American.
‘It wasn’t the best performance,’ he said.
‘The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That has been the request and that was on my mind. Took a bit longer than expected but the right hand found the destination.
The stationary truck which the car Anthony Joshua was travelling in hit on Monday morning
A picture of a truck which was posted on Instagram by his strength and conditioning coach before the group set off
Joshua had posted a story on his Instagram account four hours ago, where he is seen topless in a video playing table tennis with his long-time friend Kevin Ayodele
‘Jake Paul has done really well tonight, I want to give him his props. He got up, time and time again. It was difficult in there for him, but he kept on trying to find a way through.
‘You have to give Jake his respect for trying, trying and trying. But he came up against a real fighter tonight that’s had a 15-month lay-off.’
An Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We are urgently investigating reports of a road incident in Nigeria involving at least one British national and stand ready to offer consular assistance, if requested. Our thoughts are with those affected, and their families.’
