Anthony Joshua has paid an emotional tribute to close friends Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele following their deaths in a car crash in Nigeria just under a fortnight ago.
Joshua, Ghami and Ayodele were all travelling together when their vehicle was involved in a tragic accident on the morning of December 29, hitting a stationary truck along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Joshua spent a few days in hospital as a result of his injuries and was discharged on New Year’s Eve.
However, Ghami and Ayodele both died. Joshua flew back to the UK last week ahead of the funerals of Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, and Ayodele, one of his trainers.
And taking to his Instagram and X accounts, the 36-year-old paid tribute to the pair he deemed as ‘brothers’.
‘Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers,’ he wrote.
‘I didn’t even realise how special they are. I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.
‘100% it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.’
This post followed Joshua sharing an update on social media on Sunday sitting alongside his mother and three other women, one of whom clutched a photograph of Ghami. He captioned the post ‘My Brothers Keeper’.
Joshua’s driver Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, has been charged with dangerous and reckless driving in southwestern Ogun state.
Anthony Joshua’s driver charged on four counts
Kayode has been in custody since New Year’s Day following his release from hospital, and was subsequently granted bail of 5,000,000 Naira (£2,578) and was remanded pending his bail conditions being met.
In total, the defendant was charged on four counts, including dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care as well as driving without a valid national driver’s license.
His court case has been adjourned to January 20 for trial.
In a statement on X, the Ogun State Police Command confirmed Kayode’s current predicament.
‘The Ogun State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that the driver of the Lexus SUV involved in the Anthony Joshua accident case, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode (male), aged 46, was charged to the Sagamu Magistrate Court today, 2nd January 2026 and the case has been adjourned to 20th January, 2026,’ a statement on the force’s official X account read.
Just hours before the crash, Joshua and Ayodele both posted footage on their Instagram accounts of them playing table tennis.
Joshua returned from a 15-month lay-off from boxing by knocking out YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul in the sixth round of their lucrative showdown in Miami earlier this month.
The Olympic gold medal winner then followed up his 29th win in 33 professional fights by calling out British rival Tyson Fury, who is currently retired, for a long-awaited bout in 2026. However, that potential bout is now in the balance, depending on the physical and psychosociological effects on this incident for Joshua.
Joshua was born in Watford to Nigerian parents and spent some of his early school years in the African nation before returning to the UK aged 12.
