Anthony Joshua crash: Court hears driver was overtaking when SUV crashed

A Nigerian court has heard new details about the road crash that killed two members of Anthony Joshua’s team, with the driver accused of causing the collision denying the charges against him.

Latif Ayodele, Joshua’s personal trainer, and strength coach Sina Ghami died when the Lexus SUV carrying the group crashed in Ogun State in December 2025.

The vehicle was travelling to the area, where Joshua was due to visit his father, when it collided with a lorry.

Prosecutors allege that driver Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was trying to overtake a moving truck when he lost control of the Lexus and hit the stationary lorry.

The court was told the passengers were asleep at the time.

Kayode has pleaded not guilty to charges that include causing death by dangerous driving and driving without a valid national driving licence.

The driver of the lorry, Abubakar Adamu, 35, is facing a separate allegation of obstructing traffic. He also denies the charge.

Inspector Christopher Ajayi Taiwo of the Ogun State Motor Traffic Division told the court that the two vehicles had been taken away before police reached the crash site.

Investigators found wreckage and a quantity of soya beans on the road, apparently spilled from the lorry.

Police also recovered a vehicle logbook, painkillers and an energy drink from around the driver's side of the Lexus.

One issue raised during the hearing was the absence of a statement from Joshua, who survived the crash.

Kayode's lawyer questioned the police witness about why the boxer had not yet been interviewed. Inspector Ajayi said officers were still trying to obtain his statement and that he had not contacted Joshua because he did not have his phone number.

The hearing was adjourned until 10 September.

Joshua was born in Watford, England, but has family connections to Sagamu in Ogun State, close to where the crash happened.

After the deaths, the former heavyweight world champion remembered Ayodele and Ghami in a social media tribute, saying he had not fully appreciated how special the two men were until their deaths.

He also acknowledged the pain felt by their families, saying the loss was particularly difficult for their parents.