On New Year’s Eve, Anthony Joshua was released from the hospital and made an emotional visit to a funeral home to honor two close friends who tragically died in a car accident.

The renowned boxer narrowly escaped death himself and was taken to Duchess International Hospital in Lagos, a facility acclaimed as Nigeria’s top private hospital for the past two years.

Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, part of Joshua’s training team, lost their lives instantly when their Lexus SUV collided with a parked truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Makun, Nigeria.

A statement from the regional governments of Lagos and Ogun states, shared with the Daily Mail, confirmed Joshua’s discharge from the hospital and extended their heartfelt condolences.

“We pray The Almighty grants peace to their souls and provides their families and loved ones with the strength to endure this heartbreaking loss,” the statement expressed.

“Although Anthony Joshua left the hospital late this afternoon, his heart is heavy with emotion due to the loss of his two dear friends. Nevertheless, he has been deemed physically fit to continue his recovery at home.”

‘Anthony and his mother were at the funeral home in Lagos this afternoon to pay their final respects to his two deported friends as they were being prepared for repatriation scheduled for later this evening.

‘Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu deeply appreciate the public concern and show of love and affection over this very sad and unfortunate incident.

‘They also appreciate Mr President. His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, for all fatherly support he gave through out the process .’

A source close to Joshua told the Daily Mail: ‘Anthony will stay in Nigeria for the next few days and recover at home there.’

Anthony Joshua (pictured after crash) was discharged from hospital late on New Year’s Eve 

The truck that the Lexus crashed into is pictured here 

It comes after the Mail revealed how the driver of the truck which Joshua’s SUV ploughed into has vanished, sparking a police manhunt. 

Nigerian police confirmed that the man, who is in his 30s, but is not being named, is wanted in connection with the fatal crash.

They also confirmed that the truck had been parked on the hard shoulder of the road north of the capital Lagos illegally.

And in a further development, the driver of the Lexus carrying Joshua is also being probed by cops for speeding and could face prosecution for reckless driving following Monday’s crash.

Officers at the Sagamu car pound near to the scene of the tragedy showed the Daily Mail the wrecked HGV which had been towed to the site just a few hours earlier.

Stored in a secluded part of the compound – the soya bean truck which is registered to a firm in Lagos still bears the scars of Monday’s crash which saw Joshua, 36, come within inches of losing his life.

The truck has damage to the drivers side where the Lexus smashed head-on and is covered in police tape, but the driver is still a fugitive.

‘He was parked on the side of the highway which is illegal, he had not broken down and he was not with the vehicle when the accident happened,’ said a Nigerian officer at the pound.

Ghami and Ayodele – both 36 – were part of Joshua’s inner circle and had travelled with the boxer to Nigeria just over a week after he pocketed a reputed £75m for his victorious fight with YouTuber Jake Paul.

Anthony Joshua, 36, appeared dazed as he sat in a wrecked Lexus SUV among shattered glass

Joshua was in a horrific car crash that killed two of his best friends in Nigeria on Monday

This comes as police also focus on the Lexus driver as part of the investigation who they say was driving in excess of the 100kph speed limit before the crash.

Eyewitnesses describe the accident as sounding like a ‘bomb had gone off’ and cops say a tyre burst on the SUV before the crash.

Harrowing photos on social media showed two-time heavyweight world champion Joshua being extricated from the wrecked vehicle while wincing in pain.

Local police initially told Daily Mail Sport that Joshua was ‘stable’ and suffered only ‘minor’ injuries, although there are fears they could be more severe than publicised.

According to police in Nigeria, the Lexus was travelling over the 50mph speed limit and lost control during ‘an overtaking manoeuvre’ on what locals have claimed is one of Nigeria’s deadliest roads. 

The driver of the car could be prosecuted, according to reports in the Nigerian media

An eyewitness has also told Punch newspaper: ‘It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV.

‘Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him. There was also a passenger sitting beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus that crashed. His security detail was in the vehicle behind them before the crash.

Ghami and Ayodele – died sitting just inches away from him, adding to the dozens who have been killed on the road in recent months – making the boxer’s survival all the more astonishing.

The numbers paint a grim picture of the perils on Nigeria’s most dangerous road, with 73 deaths along that 127.6km (79-mile) stretch – 60km (37 miles) shorter than the M25 – in just three months earlier this year.

Over the past 27 months, 11,396 people have been involved in 1,557 crashes on the Expressway, including 645 fatalities and 3,964 injured.

Nine were killed in one accident in February alone, while four people died in a crash along the stretch in March.

At least 1,593 people died on Nigeria’s roads in the first quarter of 2025 – just nine fewer than the number of fatalities in the UK across the entirety of 2024.

The stretch of road the accident happened on is notorious and the Daily Mail drove along it on the way to Sagamu and was shocked by the driving. 

He is later seen sitting in the front seat of an emergency vehicle, speaking to officials. Joshua sustained minor injuries and two others were pronounced dead at the scene

Joshua pictured with friends Latif Ayodele (centre) and Sina Ghami who both died in the crash

Joshua had posted a story on his Instagram account just hours before the fatal accident, where he is seen topless in a video playing table tennis with his long-time friend Ayodele

Lane discipline was completely ignored as was the 100kph speed limit and although the three-lane carriageway was in a good condition the hard shoulder was regularly blocked with vehicles and stalls.

Pedestrians took life into their own hands as they ambled across the motorway dodging speeding cars and there was a constant cacophony of klaxons.

The condition of some vehicles was eye opening with many battered and some held together with ropes and cables and several times cars drove the wrong way along the hard shoulder.