The family of former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has alleged that the boxer’s phone was stolen at the scene of the road accident that killed two of his close friends.
Speaking to Bankole Taiwo via Punch , Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, said some people at the crash site chose to film the aftermath rather than help the victims.
“Some Nigerians act badly at accident scenes,” he said.
“When they are supposed to help, you will see them bringing out their phones to make videos and even steal from the victims.”
He added that the boxer’s phone was taken during the confusion following the crash and said such behaviour must be discouraged.
“We even heard that Anthony Joshua’s phone was stolen during the accident,” he said.
Photo Credit: X
Mr Joshua said the family learned of the accident hours later through a phone call, describing the news as almost impossible to believe.
“Around 1 pm, one of my church members, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, called to inform me of the accident,” he said.
“It sounded so impossible. How can Anthony Joshua be involved in an accident?”
The incident occurred just hours after the boxer arrived in Nigeria, having travelled home to spend the festive period with his family in Sagamu, Ogun State.
“He had just arrived in the country six hours earlier and was eager to see his family,” his uncle said.
Anthony Joshua moments after the horrific crash. Photo Credit: Sodiq/Reuters
Mr Joshua strongly criticised what he described as an inadequate emergency response at the scene, saying the boxer should not have been left to move on his own after the crash.
“To see Joshua crossing the median after the accident when he was supposed to be on a stretcher was distressing,” he said.
He contrasted the response with what he believed would have happened abroad.
“If it had been abroad, a helicopter would have arrived within five minutes,” he added.
Wreckage of the SUV: Photo Credit: Federal Road safety Corps.
He called on authorities to deploy ambulances along accident-prone highways and said emergency services should go beyond routine road checks.
READ MORE:how-a-seat-swap-saved-anthony-joshua-in-crash-that-killed-two-close-friends
The crash claimed the lives of two of Joshua’s friends, who had travelled to Nigeria to spend the holiday with him, casting a shadow over the family’s celebrations.
“How can you celebrate when your son is in the hospital and two of his friends are being taken back in body bags?” Mr Joshua said.
Latif Ayodele (left) and Sina Ghami (right) were close friends and team members of Anthony Joshua.Photo Credit: AJ/ Instagram
He described the incident as one of the most painful moments the family has experienced in decades.
“Since our father, Chief Adebambo Joshua, died in 1964, we have never been so unhappy,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE ATHLETIC NG WHATSAPP CHANNEL NOW!
The family said it felt relief after learning that Anthony Joshua had been discharged from hospital, while acknowledging the deep trauma caused by the loss of his friends.
“We thank God, but we thought about how good it would have been if his two friends had survived,” his uncle said.
