Anthony Joshua has shared his first update since a tragic car accident in Nigeria claimed the lives of a close friend and two of his team members.
On Sunday, he posted a photograph on Instagram where he was sitting on a couch alongside his mother and three other women, as reported by the Associated Press.
The former unified heavyweight boxing champion wrote in the caption: “My brother’s keeper.”
At the time of the incident, he had just been in Nigeria for a visit, following a significant victory over Jake Paul in Miami, where he won by sixth-round knockout during a fight that was streamed on Netflix.
Reportedly, Joshua—who has British and Nigerian roots—earned around $92 million from that bout.
Sadly, trainer Latif Ayodele and strength and conditioning coach Sheena Shami lost their lives in the accident.
Joshua attended their funerals on Sunday, as noted by multiple media outlets.
The accident occurred last Monday when their vehicle collided with a parked truck in Lagos. Joshua was not driving at the time.
The driver, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, faces charges related to causing death by dangerous driving, according to a report from the BBC.
At a court hearing on Friday, Kayode faced additional charges, including reckless and negligent driving, careless driving, and driving without a valid license.
Footage captured at the crash scene showed a visibly shaken Joshua being assisted from the damaged vehicle. He sustained injuries and was hospitalized but was released by Wednesday.
It was reported that Joshua was heading to visit family for New Year’s celebrations when the accident occurred.
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed his condolences, stating, “I spoke to AJ and offered my personal condolences on the recent deaths of two of his close aides.” He also added, “I prayed with him for his speedy recovery.”
