By Sam Tabahriti
Dec 29 (Reuters) - British former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua was involved in a car accident in Nigeria's Ogun State that killed two of his close friends, promoter Matchroom Boxing said on Monday.
Joshua, 36, sustained minor injuries when the vehicle he was in collided with another car, Ogun State Police Command said. The cause of the accident was being investigated, they added.
Nigeria's Federal Road Safety Corps said five men had been involved in the accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Joshua suffered minor injuries, two people lost their lives and two walked away unhurt, the FRSC said.
"With profound sadness it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, have tragically passed away," Matchroom Boxing said in a statement.
It confirmed that Joshua had been taken to a hospital for checks and treatment. He was stable and would remain under observation, it added.
President Bola Tinubu expressed sympathy to Joshua and the families of the victims, calling the incident a "tragic accident."
The FRSC said preliminary findings suggest the vehicle was likely speeding when it lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre and crashed into a stationary truck parked by the roadside.
"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," the FRSC said on X.
Officials have not said who was driving the car in which Joshua was travelling.
Joshua could not immediately be reached for comment.
Joshua, who is the son of British-Nigerian parents, was born in Britain and attended a boarding school in Ikenne, Nigeria, before returning to Britain at age 12.
The accident occurred just over a week after he knocked out American social media star Jake Paul in the sixth round of a bout in Miami.
Paul expressed his condolences in a X post on Monday, saying he was "praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today's unfortunate accident."
Joshua was returning to the ring after a 15-month layoff. He is expected to fight long-time rival and fellow Briton Tyson Fury in 2026.
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti in London, editing by Ed Osmond and Christian Radnedge)
