Boxer Anthony Joshua injured in fatal Nigeria car crash

British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has been injured in a car crash in Nigeria, which killed two other people.

The former world champion was travelling in a vehicle that collided with a stationary truck on a major expressway near Lagos.

Photos from the scene showed the 36-year-old being helped out of the back seat of a black SUV, surrounded by what appears to be broken glass.

Five adult men were involved in the crash, Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said. Two died, two survived “unhurt”, and Joshua was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Local officials said the two people who died were “male foreign nationals”, according to preliminary reports.

The crash took place on the busy Lagos-Ibadan expressway at around 12:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Monday.

The incident involved two vehicles: a black Lexus and a stationary red commercial truck.

The FRSC said the Lexus was “suspected to be travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit”, based on preliminary findings.

It said the car appeared to have “lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre” and crashed into the stationary truck by the side of the road.

Pictures shared by the FRSC showed a wrecked car at the site of the crash, with a crowd of onlookers gathered around.

The Lagos-Ibadan expressway is known as one of Nigeria’s deadliest roads, with particularly heavy traffic at this time of year as many Nigerians living abroad visit for the festive period.

Joshua, who was born in Watford, has family roots in Sagamu – a town in Ogun State, south-west Nigeria, near the crash site.

He had been spending time in the country following his recent victory over American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on 19 December.

Paul posted on X after the crash: “Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”

Hours before the crash, Joshua posted a video to Instagram of himself playing table tennis with another man. It is unclear exactly when or where the video was taken.

Local police commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo said an investigation into the accident had been ordered.

A relative of Joshua’s in Nigeria, who asked not to be named, told the BBC that news of the crash came as a “shock” to the family.

They said they were hoping for his “speedy recovery” and offered prayers for those who died in the crash.

The family member confirmed that Joshua was travelling from Lagos to Ogun state when the accident happened. His family had been expecting him to join them in Sagamu for New Year celebrations.

The boxer’s family is well known in the town and traces its ancestry there across several generations.

There are plans to build a new indoor boxing venue named after Joshua in Ogun, where the boxer is a sports ambassador.