LAGOS, Nigeria — British former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has been involved in a car accident in Nigeria’s Ogun State that claimed the lives of two people, local authorities confirmed.
The 36-year-old boxer sustained minor injuries when his vehicle collided with another car on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Monday.
He was taken to a nearby hospital, and the Ogun State Police Command said an investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
Eyewitness Adeniyi Orojo told Nigerian newspaper The Punch that Joshua was travelling in a Lexus with three others.
“Joshua was seated behind the driver with another person beside him,” Orojo said. “There was also a passenger sitting beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus. His security detail was in the vehicle behind them before the crash.”
Orojo added that the passenger beside the driver and the person seated next to Joshua died at the scene.
Joshua, who is of British-Nigerian descent, spent part of his childhood in Ikenne, roughly 85 kilometers from the crash site, before moving back to Britain at age 12.
He had recently returned to Nigeria following his December 19 fight against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, which he won via sixth-round knockout. Joshua is expected to face longtime rival Tyson Fury in 2026.
Joshua could not be reached for comment, and authorities are yet to release further details on the circumstances leading to the accident.
