A nationwide police manhunt is underway in Nigeria for the driver of a truck that was struck by a Lexus SUV carrying boxing champion Anthony Joshua, in a crash that killed two of his closest friends. The driver, a man in his 30s, has vanished after the fatal collision on one of the country's most perilous highways.
Fatal Collision on Notorious Highway
Nigerian police confirmed to the Daily Mail that the truck had been illegally parked on the hard shoulder of the road north of Lagos when the crash occurred on Monday. The driver was not with the vehicle at the time of the accident. Meanwhile, the driver of Joshua's Lexus is also under investigation for allegedly speeding and could face prosecution for reckless driving.
The crash claimed the lives of Joshua's friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, both aged 36. They were part of the boxer's inner circle and had travelled with him to Nigeria just over a week after his multi-million-pound victory over Jake Paul. Joshua, 36, survived the crash with injuries and is recuperating in a luxury private hospital in Lagos.
Scene of Devastation and Ongoing Investigations
Officers at the Sagamu car pound near the crash site showed the wrecked soya bean truck, which still bore the scars of the high-impact collision. The vehicle, registered to a firm in Lagos, had damage to the driver's side where the Lexus smashed head-on. It remained cordoned off with police tape.
An officer at the pound stated: "He was parked on the side of the highway which is illegal, he had not broken down and he was not with the vehicle when the accident happened." This statement underscores the central role of the truck's illegal parking in the tragedy.
Police are also focusing on the actions of the Lexus driver. According to their investigation, the SUV was travelling in excess of the 100kph (62mph) speed limit and lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre. Eyewitnesses described the sound of the crash as akin to a bomb exploding, and authorities reported a tyre burst on the SUV prior to the impact.
A Road of National Tragedy
The accident occurred on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a stretch of road infamously known as one of Nigeria's deadliest. The statistics are harrowing: 73 people died on this 127.6km stretch in just three months earlier this year. Over 27 months, data shows 11,396 people were involved in 1,557 crashes there, resulting in 645 fatalities and 3,964 injuries.
A Daily Mail drive along the route revealed chaotic conditions, with widespread disregard for lane discipline and speed limits. The hard shoulder was frequently blocked by vehicles and market stalls, while pedestrians dangerously weaved across the motorway. The condition of many vehicles was also dangerously poor.
This tragic incident highlights a stark road safety crisis. At least 1,593 people died on Nigerian roads in the first quarter of 2025 alone – a figure just nine fewer than the total fatalities recorded in the UK for the entirety of 2024.
As Joshua recovers in hospital with his mother at his bedside, the search for the missing truck driver continues, and the probe into the exact causes of the crash that devastated the boxer's inner circle intensifies.
