“They Are Being Taken Back in Body Bags”: Anthony Joshua’s Uncle Condemns Nigeria’s “Lackadaisical” Emergency Response, Fears Boxer May Never Return Home

The family of former world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, has broken their silence following a horrific car accident that has left the global sports icon hospitalized and two of his close friends dead.

Speaking in an emotional interview with Bankole Taiwo, Adedamola Joshua, the boxer’s uncle, described the incident as a “big shock” that has cast a dark shadow over the family’s festive celebrations.

Anthony Joshua had arrived in Nigeria just six hours before the crash. According to Adedamola, the boxer was eager to bypass high-profile invitations in Lagos to spend the Yuletide season with his family in Sagamu, Ogun State.

“He just arrived in the country six hours ago on that day,” Adedamola said. “He could have decided to spend time with the Governor of Lagos State, but he said he wanted to be with his family. It is really painful that such an incident happened.”

The accident claimed the lives of two of Joshua’s personal friends and trainers who had accompanied him for the vacation. While Joshua has since been discharged from the hospital, his uncle noted that the loss of his companions has left the family in deep trauma.

The family did not hold back in their assessment of Nigeria’s emergency response systems. Adedamola Joshua slammed what he termed the “lackadaisical attitude” of the government toward crisis management.

“To see Joshua crossing the median after the accident when he was supposed to be on a stretcher was distressing,” he remarked. “If it had been abroad, a helicopter would have arrived at the scene within five minutes. It is an eyesore.”

He further criticized the behavior of bystanders at the scene, alleging that instead of helping, some individuals focused on filming the victims, while others reportedly stole Anthony Joshua’s mobile phone during the chaos.

Despite the criticisms of the immediate response, the family expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, Governor Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) for their personal outreach and for ensuring the boxer received the best possible medical care after the initial lapse.

However, the long-term impact of the tragedy remains uncertain. Adedamola suggested that the trauma might permanently alter Joshua’s relationship with his home country.

“It might definitely discourage him [from coming home again],” his uncle admitted. “For two people who were his personal friends to have died right on the spot, six hours after they arrived in the country, is something terrible.”

When asked about the future of the boxer’s career, Adedamola noted that while there is speculation regarding retirement, the family is focusing on his physical and mental recovery.

The Joshua family is now calling on the Federal Government to station permanent ambulances along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and to provide professional escorts and drivers for national icons when they visit the country.

“Since our father died in 1964, we have never been so unhappy,” Adedamola concluded. “We sincerely pray to the Almighty God to give him the courage to pull through this trying time.”