British boxer Anthony Joshua has been injured, with two other men killed, in a car crash near Lagos in Nigeria
The two dead are "male foreign nationals", the local officials say
Local police tell the BBC that Joshua has been taken to hospital – they earlier said he suffered minor injuries but is "fine"
Officials suspect Joshua's vehicle crashed into a stationary lorry while overtaking at speed – footage shows Joshua grimacing as he's rescued from the car
Joshua – a two-time world heavyweight champion – has family roots in Sagamu, a town in Ogun State
One relative tells the BBC of their family's shock – saying Joshua normally visits Nigeria around the new year
YouTube star turned boxer, Jake Paul, who Joshua recently beat in the ring, responds on X saying, "life is much more important than boxing"
Edited by Angus Thompson and Tinshui Yeung, with Makuochi Okafor reporting from Lagos
Anthony Joshua is a former two-time heavyweight champion and one of the most high-profile fighters in British boxing.
Born in Watford to British-Nigerian parents he rose to prominence by winning Olympic super-heavyweight gold for TeamGB at London 2012 before turning professional later that year.
Joshua captured the IBF heavyweight title in 2016 and went on to unify the division with victories over Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin.
His dominance was ended by a surprise defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, though he reclaimed his titles in the immediate rematch later that year.
Back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022 ended his second reign, and a period of rebuilding under new trainers has followed for a fighter known for his athleticism, punching power and commercial appeal.
He was appointed an MBE in 2013 for his services to boxing following his Olympic success with an OBE following in 2018 for his broader services to sport.
New footage provided to the BBC shows Joshua in the back left seat of the vehicle he was travelling in.
The video, filmed from the left-hand side of the severely damaged SUV, shows Joshua raising his right forearm inside the dark interior of the vehicle, where he appears to give a thumbs up to the crowd gathered outside.
The British boxer received minor injuries in the Nigeria crash that killed two men.
This video can not be played
These images show the extent of the damage done to a stationary lorry that police say was crashed into by the SUV carrying Joshua.
Of the five men involved in the crash, two are confirmed to have died, two were unhurt and Joshua sustained minor injuries.
Nigeria's Federal Road Safety Corps says the SUV was suspected of travelling over the speed limit and was overtaking another car when it crashed.
Anthony Joshua is seen in the footage below grimacing in pain as he's rescued from the vehicle involved in the crash.
Behind him a man in a suit and tie helps the boxer from the car, while Joshua is also assisted from the front.
The footage, circulating online, shows several men gathering around the site of the crash during the rescue.
This video can not be played
Adesola Ikulajolu
BBC News Pidgin
One eyewitness tells me that the vehicle Joshua was travelling in hit a large truck transporting soybeans, which had broken down on the road on Sunday.
The impact destroyed parts of the truck, including its tyres.
The witness says Joshua remained inside the vehicle for nearly 10 minutes before bystanders called out to him, helping him regain consciousness.
The Nigerian Road Safety Corps arrived at the scene and removed the damaged truck from the road, the witness adds.
Local police commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo said earlier an investigation into the accident has been ordered.
Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer who lost to Anthony Joshua earlier this month, has posted on X., external
"Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident," he says.
Ogun's state government says the two people killed in the crash were "two male foreign nationals", according to preliminary reports.
As we've been reporting, two passengers were unscathed, while Joshua – who was in the backseat – sustained minor injuries.
Ogun's government says Joshua and the driver were rescued from the car by security personnel travelling with him.
Hearn (R) promoted Joshua's last boxing match against Jake Paul in Miami
We're contacting Joshua's promoter, Matchroom Boxing. Earlier, Daily Mail Sport reported comments from its chairman Eddie Hearn, who said he woke to the news of the car crash while on holiday.
"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," he told the publication.
"We are awaiting more information on what has happened and will update in due course."
Makuochi Okafor
Reporting from Lagos, Nigeria
Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua was born in Watford, England, but has often spoken proudly about his Nigerian heritage.
The Joshua family is well known in Sagamu, in south-west Nigeria, and traces its ancestry there across several generations.
His great-grandfather, Daniel Adebambo Joshua, was a wealthy landowner and merchant, who is believed to have taken the Joshua surname after converting to Christianity.
One of the clearest signs of Joshua's pride in his heritage is a tattoo of the African continent on his right shoulder, with Nigeria clearly outlined.
During his fights, the Nigerian flag is regularly displayed alongside the Union Jack in the ring, including after his victory against Jake Paul earlier in the month.
In Ogun, where Joshua is a sports ambassador, there are plans to build a new indoor boxing venue named after the former heavyweight world champion.
We now know more than we did an hour ago about the circumstances of the crash in Nigeria. Here's a roundup of what we've gathered:
Joshua landing the decisive blow on Jake Paul earlier this month
Anthony Joshua's car crash comes shortly after his heavyweight victory over YouTube star Jake Paul on 19 December.
Joshua, who had been out of the ring since defeat by Daniel Dubois in September 2024, broke Paul's jaw in two places during the six-round victory in Miami.
The fight earned the 36-year-old Briton a share of a reported £210m purse.
The bout, streamed on Netflix, was criticised by some – given Paul was a relative novice, and smaller than Joshua.
Joshua said he was "not worried" about the integrity of the fight and the "whole point of it" was to "create conversation".
Mayeni Jones
Africa correspondent
The accident happened this morning, when Joshua was travelling along a very busy expressway, seemingly in the back seat of a Lexus.
The road is commonly known as the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and it has been described by local media as one of Nigeria's deadliest roads.
The Lagos-Ibadan expressway connects Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state and Lagos, Nigeria's largest city. It spans 127 km (79 miles).
It gets particularly busy during this time of year as many Nigerians travel back to the country from the diaspora to celebrate the festive period.
Images and videos of the crash have been circulating on social media, including this one of Anthony Joshua taken shortly after the incident, in the back seat of a vehicle.
Officials also released these pictures of a severely damaged vehicle, and debris surrounding a truck with a large dent in it.
Ogun State Police Command has confirmed that the crash occurred along the Lagos–Ibadan expressway, just before a Danco petrol station near the Sagamu Interchange, north-east of Lagos.
The force says the crash involved a Lexus SUV that Joshua was travelling in.
A relative of Anthony Joshua, who asked not to be named, tells the BBC that the news of the crash has "come to the family as a shock".
"We are hoping for his speedy recovery and also the people who passed away – I pray for the departed to rest in peace," the relative says.
Joshua was travelling from Lagos to the family home, they add.
"He’s normally coming around for the new year. We haven’t seen him so we were expecting him."
The Federal Road Safety Corps in Nigeria has just posted the following images on X showing the site of the crash:
More now from the update given by road safety officials.
They say five adult males were involved in the crash – two of whom have died.
Two others "escaped unhurt".
Anthony Joshua was "rescued alive and sustained minor injuries". He was taken for "medical attention".
The update from the Federal Road Safety Corps in Nigeria says a Lexus Jeep involved in the incident was suspected to be travelling "beyond the legally prescribed speed limit".
They say the car lost control during "an overtaking manoeuvre" and crashed into a stationary truck by the side of the road.
We've just had a statement from road safety officials in Nigeria, with more details of the crash.
In it, officials say a total of five adult males were involved in the crash, including Anthony Joshua.
We'll bring you more in the next few moments.
If you're just joining us, here's what we do and don't know about British boxer Anthony Joshua's car crash in Nigeria:
What we know:
What we don't know:
Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
