Former two-time heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua was on Monday involved in a road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway around past 11 am.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
A staff member of The PUNCH, Adeniyi Orojo, who witnessed the accident, said that Joshua sustained minor injuries, saying that two people died on the spot.
Orojo, who stated that the accident happened just before Danco filling station in Makun, before Sagamu Interchange inward Ibadan axis of the road, said that two people died on the spot.
‘It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV. 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. The passenger beside the driver and the person beside Joshua died on the spot’, he said.
Fans have flooded social media with messages of concern, while local authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash.
Efforts to reach the Commandant of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Akinbiyi Babatunde on further updates about the crash were futile as calls placed to his line did not go through.
But the state Police Command spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent Oluseyi Babaseyi said that ‘two died, while Joshua and one other have been hospitalised and are receiving treatment at a hospital that would not be disclosed’.
The Federal Road Safety Corps also confirmed the incident in an official statement by the Assistant Corps Marshal and Corps Public Education Officer, Olusegun Ogungbemide.
According to the FRSC, the crash involved a Lexus SUV carrying Anthony Joshua and a stationary truck.
‘The incident involved two vehicles: a black Lexus Jeep with registration number KRD 850 HN (private) and a stationary red commercial Sinotruck with unknown registration number. A total of five adult males were involved in the crash.
‘Two persons sadly lost their lives, one sustained injuries, while two others escaped unhurt. Anthony Joshua was rescued alive and sustained minor injuries.
‘The injured victim was evacuated for medical attention, while the remains of the deceased were conveyed to Livewell Morgue, Ajaka, Sagamu’, the statement read.
It noted that the Nigeria Police Motor Traffic Division (MTD) was duly notified for further investigation and necessary documentation.
According to the FRSC, preliminary findings indicate that the Lexus jeep, which was suspected to be travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor, lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre and crashed into a stationary truck well packed by the side of the road.
‘The primary causes of the crash being excessive speed and wrongful overtaking constitute serious traffic violations and remain among the leading causes of fatal road crashes on Nigerian highways’, FRSC said.
The Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wish the injured victim, Joshua a speedy recovery.
FRSC reiterated its warning to motorists to avoid dangerous overtaking, excessive speed, and disregard for traffic regulations, particularly on high-speed corridors such as the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.
It urged motorists to exercise patience, maintain lane discipline, and prioritise safety over haste, especially during the festive travel period.
