By RismadarVoice Media
January 2, 2026
The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of Kayode Adeniyi, the 47-year-old driver of the Lexus SUV involved in the fatal crash that claimed the lives of two close friends of former world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua.
The command’s spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday, noting that investigations into the incident were ongoing.
Adeniyi, a long-standing member of Joshua’s Nigerian logistics team, was discharged from a Lagos hospital late on New Year’s Eve after treatment for minor injuries and subsequently taken to Abeokuta, Ogun State, where the accident occurred, for questioning.
Police sources said the driver is expected to be charged with reckless driving within 48 hours, although proceedings may be delayed by the ongoing bank holiday.
“He was released after treatment for minor injuries and was then taken to the state police headquarters for questioning. He is in a stable condition and was able to give his version of events,” a police source said.
According to investigators, Adeniyi was allegedly driving above the 65mph speed limit on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway when a tyre burst during an overtaking manoeuvre near Danco, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.
The Lexus reportedly collided with an illegally parked truck carrying soya beans.
The impact tore away the nearside section of the SUV, killing Joshua’s training staff, Sina Ghami, 36, a British citizen, and Kevin Latif Ayodele, 36, a Nigerian-British citizen, instantly. Joshua, who was seated behind the driver, and Adeniyi sustained minor injuries.
Local first responders described Joshua’s survival as a “miracle.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos and Ogun state governments on Wednesday announced Joshua’s discharge from Lagoon Hospital, Ikoyi, after doctors certified him clinically fit to continue his recovery at home.
In a joint statement signed by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, Mr Kayode Akinmade, and Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr Gbenga Omotosho, it was disclosed that Joshua and his mother visited a Lagos funeral home to pay their final respects to the deceased.
The bodies of Ghami and Ayodele were flown out of Lagos aboard a Turkish Airlines cargo flight that landed in Istanbul early on New Year’s Day and were expected to continue to London.
Governors Abiodun and Babajide Sanwo-Olu expressed appreciation to the public for their prayers and support, thanked President Bola Tinubu for what they described as his fatherly concern.
They also commended the medical personnel at Lagoon Hospital for their professionalism.
Police sources further revealed that the driver of the illegally parked truck has disappeared, prompting an active manhunt.
Joshua and his entourage had arrived in Nigeria earlier on Monday on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London. Several football stars, including Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Bright Osayi-Samuel, have since sent messages of support to the boxer following the tragedy.
