Frank Rondel
British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua was involved in a serious road traffic accident on a major highway between Ogun State and Lagos in Nigeria, local authorities confirmed, leaving two people dead, reports customreceipt.com with reference to the ВВС.
According to information released by Nigerian officials and cited by local media, the crash occurred on Monday morning on the busy Lagos–Ibadan expressway. The vehicle carrying Joshua collided with a stationary truck parked along the roadside. Police in Ogun State later confirmed that two individuals lost their lives as a result of the collision.
Video footage circulating on social media shows the 36-year-old former world champion attempting to exit a heavily damaged vehicle moments after the incident. The exact time and location of the video recording have not been independently verified, but authorities acknowledged its authenticity in relation to the crash.
Joshua had been in Nigeria following his recent bout against Jake Paul on December 19. Witnesses told Nigerian newspaper The Punch that at least two vehicles, including a Lexus SUV and a Mitsubishi Pajero, were involved in the accident. One eyewitness said Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another passenger beside him, while a third passenger occupied the front seat. In total, four people were traveling in the Lexus, with Joshua’s security team following in a separate vehicle.
Nigerian police confirmed to BBC News that Joshua was taken to hospital shortly after the crash. Officials stated that he sustained minor injuries and was in stable condition. Later updates from road safety authorities indicated that five adult men were involved in the incident overall. Two were pronounced dead at the scene, two others were not injured, and Joshua was described as having survived with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Federal Road Safety Corps of Nigeria reported that the Lexus SUV was likely traveling above the legally permitted speed limit. According to their preliminary assessment, the driver lost control while attempting an overtaking maneuver, causing the vehicle to veer off course and collide with a parked truck on the shoulder of the road.
Photographs released by Nigerian authorities show a black SUV with severe frontal damage at the crash site, surrounded by police vehicles, emergency personnel, and bystanders. The identities of the two victims who died have not yet been disclosed, and officials have not clarified which vehicle they were traveling in at the time of the collision.
A relative of Joshua, who requested anonymity, told BBC News that the news came as a shock to the family. The source said Joshua had been traveling from Lagos to his family home and usually visits during the New Year period. The family had been expecting his arrival.
Anthony Joshua, born in 1989, rose to prominence as an amateur boxer before turning professional in 2013. His amateur career included winning the ABAE championship in England, securing silver at the World Championships, and claiming Olympic gold in the heavyweight division. In 2016, he captured his first world heavyweight title and successfully defended the IBF belt six times, later unifying titles across the WBA, WBO, IBO, and IBF organizations.
In 2017, Joshua defeated Wladimir Klitschko by technical knockout in a bout that marked the Ukrainian champion’s final professional fight. Joshua first lost his titles in 2019 to Andy Ruiz Jr. but reclaimed them later that year in a rematch. He suffered another significant defeat in 2021 when Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk took all four major heavyweight titles from him, a result Usyk repeated in their 2022 rematch by judges’ decision.
In December 2025, Usyk presented Joshua with a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt as a gesture of respect and support, shortly before news of the Nigerian road accident became public.
Earlier we wrote that Harry Styles ends music hiatus with surprise YouTube video release “Forever, Forever”.