Anthony Joshua was close to tears as he paid a deeply personal tribute to the two friends killed in the car crash in which he narrowly escaped death.
In his first video message since last month’s tragic accident in Nigeria, Britain’s two-time world heavyweight champion was overcome with emotion after describing Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele as “brothers”.
In a post on Instagram, Joshua said: “We had so many plans to wrap up 2025. We went home, we went to see our families, and everything got flipped upside on its head.
“That was such an unforeseen circumstance that was out of all of our control. And not only did their parents, their uncles, their cousins, their friends and myself, lose two great men, we lost people that we dearly care about, and have been major players in all of our lives; major, major players in all of our lives. It’s tough. It’s really tough.
“I’m not going to sit here and show all of my emotions. I know, in today’s day and age, it’s easy to microanalyse people and pass judgment, but I know what I felt and all that matters to me.
“I know what my duty is. They were my brothers, my friends, first and foremost. Then we became business partners, we became hustlers, we became lieutenants, we became generals, we became everything, we became housemates who were living together.”
Briefly unable to continue, Joshua bowed his head before composing himself and adding: “One day my time will come, and I’m not scared either – at all. It’s actually comforting knowing that I’ve got two brothers on the other side.
“You know, I’ve lost people before, but I don’t think I’ve lost people like that, my left and my right. I didn’t even realise that I’m the big guy, you know what I mean? But I was walking with giants, who kept me protected, kept me shielded. But the mission must go on and I understand my duty. I understand what they wanted to do for their families.
“My goal is to help their families and to help them achieve their goals, even though they may not be here in the physical. I’m going to help them fulfil their dreams for their families. Not only me, though, helping. There’s a whole team of us. I’m going to do what’s right by their family. It’s about what’s important to me, and they’re very important players, very important team members, very important friends and two of my brothers.”
Thanking the wider public for their support, he added: “I don’t think I’ve mentioned the love and appreciation. It’s all acknowledged by me, by them, by their families, 100 per cent. We acknowledge the thousands, maybe going into millions, around the world that showed so much love to them both.
“We heard you all, we saw the messages, the tweets, the social media, the YouTubes, the prayers, it’s all been acknowledged. So, yeah, we know what we’re going to do. Momma Latz, Momma Sina, Papa Latz, Papa Sina, one love.”
Joshua, 36, was a passenger with his two friends in a Lexus SUV that collided with a stationary truck on a major expressway near Lagos on December 29. He was treated in hospital before returning to the UK at the start of the new year. He then posted pictures of himself comforting relatives of the two victims, as well as his own mother.
Kayode Adeniyi, their 47-year-old driver, is accused of causing death by dangerous driving and driving without a valid driver’s licence.
On January 2, Adeniyi appeared before a magistrate in Sagamu charged with causing death by dangerous driving, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care, and driving without a valid driver’s licence.
Before the fateful crash, Adeniyi met Joshua and his team at Lagos Airport before departing for Sagamu, where Joshua has family roots and was planning to spend New Year, with the boxer in the front seat.
It was claimed in the court that Joshua moved seats at the request of the driver, who was struggling to see the passenger wing mirror past the two-time heavyweight world champion, a move which may have saved his life.