Anthony Joshua has paid a heartfelt tribute to his friends Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami after they tragically lost their lives in a car accident.
In late December of last year, Anthony Joshua, the renowned former boxing heavyweight champion, was involved in a car accident while in Nigeria.
Although Joshua emerged from the incident with minor injuries, footage of him being assisted out of the wrecked vehicle spread quickly across social media platforms. He was taken to a nearby hospital and discharged a few days later.
Tragically, his two friends, who Joshua considered more like ‘brothers’, did not survive. Latif Ayodele, his personal trainer, and Sina Ghami, his strength coach, both lost their lives.
Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, the driver at the time of the accident, faces charges that include causing death by dangerous driving, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
On January 4, Joshua posted two photos with the families of Ayodele and Ghami, captioning them with the phrase: “My Brothers Keeper.”
Later, on January 29, Joshua shared a video across his social media platforms, reflecting on the loss of his friends, his emotions, and his plans moving forward.
Joshua expressed: “That was such an unforeseen circumstance that was out of all of our control.
“Not only did their parents, their uncles, their cousins, their friends and myself lose two great men, we lost people that we dearly care about and have been major players in all of our lives.
“It’s tough. It’s really tough.”
Discussing his dedication to the families of Ghami and Ayodele, he expressed his intent to support them in achieving their aspirations and dreams.
He also mentioned the tendency on social media for people to scrutinize how others grieve, particularly in situations where videos are shared.
Joshua noted: “I’m not gonna sit here and show all of my emotions. I know in today’s day and age, it’s easy to analyze people, pass judgment, but I know what I thought, and I know how I feel.
“I know what my duty is. They were my brothers, my friends, first and foremost. Then we became business partners, we became hustlers, we became generals, we became everything. We became housemates, who were living together.”
He also reflected on the inevitability of his own passing one day, expressing that he is not afraid, especially knowing he has two brothers waiting on the other side.