By Abdulahmeed Abdulrozaq Bilal | Fact Frontier.
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A routine journey on one of Nigeria's busiest highways ended in fatal tragedy on Monday, December 29, 2025, leaving the boxing world in shock and two families in mourning. Former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was involved in a serious road accident in Ogun State, Nigeria, which resulted in two fatalities and left the champion with minor injuries.
The Scene: A Notorious Highway
The collision occurred shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the Makun area, near the Sagamu Interchange. This road has a grim reputation for safety. Citing official data, The Independent reported that by 2025, the expressway
remained Nigeria’s deadliest highway,with 175 crashes, 73 deaths, and 393 injuries recorded in just the first quarter of the year.
The Collision: A Burst Tire and a Stationary Truck
Preliminary information from the Ogun State Police Command indicates the crash was caused by a mechanical failure. Police Commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo stated the accident happened after a burst tire on Joshua's vehicle caused the driver to lose control, leading to a collision with a stationary truck.
An eyewitness at the scene, Adeniyi Orojo, provided a harrowing account to the Nigerian newspaper Punch, describing the immediate aftermath:
I can confirm that he was trapped in the vehicle and it took the concerted efforts of people to bring him out... Two people died in the vehicle. They were the ones sitting beside the driver and the one sitting beside Joshua.Social media footage verified by news outlets showed a dazed but conscious Joshua being helped from the wreckage.
Official Confirmation and Joshua's Condition
The Ogun State Police Command swiftly confirmed the incident. Police Public Relations Officer Babaseyi Oluseyi stated,
Anthony Joshua and other injured persons have been rushed to the hospital.Authorities later provided an update on Joshua's condition to the BBC, confirming he had sustained minor injuries and was "fine." He was taken to an undisclosed hospital and reported to be in stable condition.
A representative for Joshua also provided a brief statement to ESPN, saying,
Early indications are he is ok but waiting on further official news.
Reaction from the Boxing World
Joshua's long-time promoter, Eddie Hearn, reacted from abroad. He told the Daily Mail,
I am away on a family holiday and awoke to the news of this incident. We are trying to contact Anthony and in the meantime we don't want to speculate on how he is but thankfully he appears OK from what I have seen in the images.
Context and Uncertain Future
The accident occurred while Joshua, 36, was visiting his family's homeland in Nigeria, following a significant knockout victory over Jake Paul just ten days earlier. The tragedy casts immediate uncertainty on his fighting future, with planned bouts in early 2026 now in doubt.
The investigation by the Ogun State Police Command continues as the world awaits further updates and mourns the two lives lost in this devastating incident on one of Africa's most dangerous roads.
