The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a man who drove the ill-fated Lexus SUV conveying the former World boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, and two of his close friends before it crashed on Monday, around Danco, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
This is as PUNCH Metro findings from Joshua’s close family and police sources revealed that the driver is a 47-year-old man known as Kayode Adeniyi.
Findings further revealed that the driver had been a long-time member of the former World boxing champion’s logistics team.
“Kayode Adeniyi, 47, is a long-time member of Joshua’s Nigerian logistics team,” the police source who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak for the police, said.
Another source who is close to the family but spoke on the condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to speak for the family confirmed to our correspondent via a telephone interview on Thursday that the driver is a Nigerian.
“We learnt he was in a coma shortly after the incident. He is a Nigerian. His (Joshua) logistics are always arranged for him whenever he is in the country,” the source said.
Confirming the arrest in a short message shared with journalists on Thursday, the spokesperson for the state police command, Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed that “The driver of the Lexus SUV in connection with the Anthony Joshua accident case is currently in custody. Investigations are ongoing,” without revealing further details.
Recall that Joshua was on Monday, at about 11 am, involved in a road crash that claimed two other occupants of the ill-fated car.
It was also gathered that the vehicle conveying the renowned boxer, a Lexus SUV with registration number KRD 850 HN, collided with a stationary truck.
The two foreign nationals who died in the accident have also been identified as Ayodele Kelvin Olu (36), a Nigerian/British citizen, and Gami Sina (36), a British citizen.
The Lagos and Ogun state governments, however, on Wednesday, announced the discharge of Anthony Joshua from the hospital following the tragic road accident.
This was according to a joint statement, signed by Mr Kayode Akinmade, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to Gov Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho.
The two state governments once again commiserated with the families of the deceased, describing the incident as painful and deeply unfortunate.
They prayed that Almighty God would grant the souls of the departed eternal rest and give their families and loved ones the strength to bear the irreparable loss.
The statement disclosed that Anthony Joshua and his mother were at a funeral home in Lagos on Wednesday to pay their final respects to the two late friends, whose bodies were being prepared for repatriation later in the evening.
According to the government, Anthony Joshua was discharged from Lagoon Hospital, Ikoyi, late on Wednesday after doctors confirmed that he was clinically fit to continue his recuperation from home.
Governors Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State expressed deep appreciation to members of the public for the overwhelming concern, prayers and show of love following the sad incident.
They also conveyed their gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for what they described as his fatherly support throughout the period.
The governments further commended the doctors and medical personnel at Lagoon Hospital, Ikoyi, for the quality of care, professionalism and dedication shown in attending to Anthony Joshua and other injured victims of the accident.
