Anthony Joshua Discharged From Hospital After Car Crash That Killed One

Former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has been discharged from hospital after surviving a fatal car accident in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends, state officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The accident occurred on Monday on a busy highway linking Lagos and Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria. Joshua was travelling with Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele when their SUV collided with a stationary truck.

Preliminary investigations by the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) in Ogun state indicated that the vehicle was speeding and suffered a tyre burst before the crash. “Anthony Joshua was discharged from hospital late this afternoon,” Lagos state spokesperson Gbenga Omotoso and Ogun state spokesperson Kayode Akinmade said in a joint statement issued Wednesday night.

The statement said Joshua, though deeply affected by the loss of his friends, was declared medically fit to continue his recovery at home. Authorities in Lagos and Ogun states have overseen his treatment since the incident. After his discharge, Joshua and his mother visited a funeral home where the bodies of Ghami and Ayodele were being prepared for repatriation, the statement added.

Nigerian police confirmed that both victims died at the scene. Images released by police showed the wreckage of a black sports utility vehicle. Joshua, 36, was initially admitted to Lagoon Hospital in Lagos, clarifying earlier conflicting reports that had named a different medical facility.

The British-Nigerian boxer has family roots in southwestern Nigeria and is known to visit frequently. Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, typically sees a surge in visitors from across the country and the diaspora in December.

In the ring, Joshua last fought in December, defeating YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul by knockout in a Netflix-backed bout in Miami. He has since been linked to a potential showdown with fellow former world champion Tyson Fury. Prior to that, Joshua suffered a fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.