Anthony Joshua paid his final respects on Sunday as two of his close friends, who died in a tragic car crash, were laid to rest in London.
The former two-time unified heavyweight champion attended the funeral of Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele at the London Central Mosque, where Islamic funeral prayers (Janaza) were held. Hundreds of mourners gathered as the two coffins were placed side by side for the prayers, before they were taken to a nearby crematorium for the burial rites. A wake followed later in the day.
Ghami, Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach, and Ayodele, one of his trainers, lost their lives last Monday when the vehicle they were travelling in crashed into a stationary truck on a major road near Lagos. Joshua was also in the car at the time of the accident but survived. He was rushed to hospital, discharged on Wednesday, and later returned to the United Kingdom ahead of the funeral.
Earlier on Sunday, Joshua shared a quiet moment on Instagram, posting images of himself seated beside his mother and other family members, one of whom held a photograph of Ghami. He captioned the post, “My Brother’s Keeper.”
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command confirmed on Friday that the driver of the vehicle, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, had been charged at the Sagamu Magistrate Court. He faces counts including causing death by dangerous driving, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care, and driving without a valid driver’s licence.
Further details that emerged after the crash revealed that Joshua had initially been seated in the front of the vehicle but was asked by the driver to move to the back seat, a decision believed to have saved his life. The driver’s lawyer later told the Daily Mail that his client pleaded not guilty, claiming the crash was an accident caused by brake failure.
Joshua, who was born in Watford to Nigerian parents, had been holidaying in Nigeria following his sixth-round knockout victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on December 19, before the fatal incident cut the trip short.
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