Anthony Joshua's 'reckless' driver is named - and set to be charged by police within 48 hours - as boxer's friends' bodies are flown out of Nigeria
NICK PISA IN LAGOS: The Daily Mail has learned that Joshua's driver did not have a valid driver's licence before the smash on Nigeria's most deadly road which hospitalised the multi-millionaire boxer.
Published: 16:29 GMT, 2 January 2026 | Updated: 23:51 GMT, 2 January 2026
A shocking twist of fate meant Anthony Joshua cheated death moments before the fatal car crash that killed two of his friends, the Daily Mail can reveal.
The World Champion boxer, 36, swapped seats from the front to the back of his SUV before the smash which killed Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele just hours after they arrived in Nigeria for a holiday.
In addition, the Daily Mail has learned that Joshua's driver did not have a valid driver's licence before the smash on Nigeria's most deadly road which hospitalised the multi-millionaire boxer.
The jaw-dropping revelation emerged at the hearing for his driver Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 47, in Sagamu High Court at which he denied all charges against him which included dangerous driving.
Kayode was wearing a black Muslim kaftan and pleaded not guilty when the charges were read out to him by the clerk as members of his family attended. He claims he is innocent and the brakes failed.
Kayode, who has worked for Joshua for more than three years, was granted bail and rushed away by police to Sagamu Correctional Centre for paperwork to be completed.
Anthony Joshua swapped seats from the front to the back of the SUV before the crash which killed two of the heavyweight boxer's friends, a lawyer for the driver has revealed
The Daily Mail has obtained a picture of Anthony Joshua as he smiled with a baggage handler called Solomon as he arrived in Nigeria before the fateful journey
The Daily Mail can identify the chauffeur that crashed the car carrying Joshua on Monday as 47-year-old Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode
The driver’s lawyer Olalekan Abiodun told the Daily Mail: ’My client has pleaded not guilty and what happened was an accident, I haven’t had a full chance to speak with him yet but I know he is saying the brakes did not work.
‘I also understand that the journey started in Lagos and that initially Anthony had got into the front seat but the driver asked him to swap seats.‘
He did this because Anthony is a big fellow and he couldn’t see the wing mirror properly so he asked him to move and he sat behind the driver.
‘From what I understand Latif was in front and then changed seats with Anthony.'
Bail was set at 5 million Naira (£2,580) but under the Nigerian system this doesn't have to be cash and valuables are admissible.
Kayode was charged on four counts including dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving, driving without care and attention and driving without a valid drivers license.