A forty seven year old Nigerian man, Kayode Adeniyi, has been formally arraigned before a High Court of Ogun State sitting in Sagamu, a major town in Ogun State, South West Nigeria, over charges bordering on manslaughter and reckless driving following a fatal road accident involving British Nigerian professional boxer, Anthony Joshua.
Okay News reports that Adeniyi, who has served for several years as the Nigerian driver to Anthony Joshua, a two time world heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist from the United Kingdom, is facing trial after a crash that occurred on a busy federal highway in Makun, a community near Sagamu, Ogun State.
According to information obtained from security sources, Adeniyi was arrested shortly after the accident and taken to the Eleweran Police Station in Abeokuta, the capital city of Ogun State, where he provided a detailed account of the events that led to the collision. Following preliminary investigations, he was charged to court on allegations of reckless driving and manslaughter.
A police source familiar with the proceedings confirmed the development, stating, “He is currently in court; expect more information on the case.”
The incident has continued to generate public debate, with Menzie Abia, a close associate of Anthony Joshua, openly criticizing the decision to arrest and prosecute the driver. Abia argued that Adeniyi had driven Joshua for many years without incident, suggesting that a history of reckless driving would have resulted in his dismissal long ago.
He said, “The government should leave the innocent driver and blame her own incompetence. Imagine a federal highway with no well spelt out highway shoulders, no traffic signs, no speed limit signs, no deer crossing signs, no yield signs, and no hazard warning signal in the event that a spoilt truck is parked ahead.”
Abia further questioned the state of road safety management in Nigeria, adding, “A truck was parked on the highway and the government does not see that as a serious traffic problem. It is only in Nigeria that the government blames her incompetence on others.
“I pity the poor driver. The government is about to use him to save face and obscure her incompetence.”
Anthony Joshua was involved in the accident on Monday, twenty ninth December two thousand and twenty five, while travelling with members of his team to visit family in Nigeria. The vehicle reportedly collided with a stationary truck on the highway, resulting in a tragic outcome.
Joshua sustained minor injuries and was taken to a hospital in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, where he received medical attention. He was later discharged after doctors confirmed that he was fit and not seriously harmed.
However, the accident claimed the lives of two of his close associates, identified as Kevin Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, who reportedly died at the scene due to the severity of their injuries.
The boxer is expected to remain away from competitive boxing activities for some time as he continues to mourn the loss of his companions and complete his recovery. Meanwhile, arrangements are underway to repatriate the bodies of the deceased to their families for burial.
