The family of former world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, has condemned the conduct of some bystanders following a fatal road accident that claimed the lives of two of the boxer’s close friends shortly after his arrival in Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, described the incident as devastating, revealing that the family only became aware of the accident hours later due to limited access to social media.
He said the news was first broken to him around 1 p.m. by a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police from his church.
According to him, Joshua had been in Nigeria for barely six hours before the crash occurred.
The boxer was reportedly heading to Sagamu, Ogun State, to reunite with family members, a tradition he maintains during festive periods, having deliberately avoided social or political engagements in Lagos.
Adedamola Joshua lamented Nigeria’s emergency response system, noting that images of the boxer walking unaided at the crash scene were disturbing.
He said Joshua should have been promptly evacuated in an ambulance, adding that in more advanced countries, emergency responders—sometimes including air ambulances—arrive within minutes.
The family also criticised bystanders who allegedly filmed the victims instead of rendering help. Amid the chaos, Anthony Joshua’s mobile phone was reportedly stolen, an act the family described as shameful and unacceptable.
He called on the government to deploy more ambulances on major highways and intensify public enlightenment on emergency response, stressing that many Nigerians are unaware of emergency numbers to call during crises.
