The Ogun State Police Command has arraigned the driver of the Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle involved in the accident that claimed the lives of two close associates of former world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua.
The driver, identified as Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 47, was on Friday charged before a Magistrate Court in Sagamu on charges of manslaughter, reckless driving, and other related offences.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Thursday, January 2, 2026.
According to the police, the case has been adjourned till January 20, 2026, to allow for further proceedings.
Kayode, who was driving the vehicle conveying Anthony Joshua and his friends when the fatal crash occurred, was earlier arrested and questioned at the Eleweran Police Station, where he gave his account of the circumstances surrounding the incident before being charged to court.
A police source told journalists: “He’s currently in court; expect more information on the case.”
However, the arrest of the driver has drawn criticism from some quarters. Menzie Abia faulted the move, stating that Kayode has been Joshua’s Nigerian driver for years.
“If he had been a reckless driver all the years, Anthony Joshua wouldn’t have retained him for that long,” Abia said.
He blamed the government for the accident, citing poor road infrastructure.
“The government should leave the innocent driver and blame her own incompetence. Imagine a federal highway with no well-spelt-out highway shoulders, no traffic signs, no speed limit signs, no deer crossing signs, no yield signs, and no hazard warning signal in the event that a spoilt truck is parked ahead,” Abia stated.
“A truck was parked on the highway and the government doesn’t see that as a serious traffic problem. It’s only in Nigeria that the government blames her incompetence on others. I pity the poor driver. The government is about to use him to save face and obscure her incompetence.”
The fatal crash occurred on Monday, December 29, 2025, on a busy highway in Makun, Ogun State, just hours after Joshua and his associates had spent time playing tennis together.
The vehicle Joshua was travelling in collided with a stationary truck, an incident that tragically claimed the lives of two people.
Joshua’s two friends, Kevin Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, were confirmed dead as they could not survive the injuries sustained in the crash. Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries.
The two-time heavyweight champion was released from hospital after receiving treatment and being deemed fit. He continues his recuperation at home.
Joshua is expected to be sidelined from boxing for a while as he mourns the death of his companions and takes medication to recover fully before resuming active duties.
The bodies of the two friends who died at the scene have since been repatriated to their families in the United Kingdom for burial.
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