By Kehinde Jacobs
A Magistrate Court in Ogun State has adjourned the trial of Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, the driver who drove the vehicle involved in the December crash that left former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua injured and two of his team members dead, to November 17.
Kayode, 46, appeared before the court today to answer a four-count charge. The charges relate to dangerous driving resulting in death, reckless and negligent driving, failure to drive with due care and attention, and operating a vehicle without a valid national driver’s licence. When the charges were read, he pleaded not guilty to all counts.
According to prosecutors, the incident happened on December 29, 2025, around the Makun area near Sagamu on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The court heard that Kayode was driving a Lexus SUV in which Joshua and members of his entourage were travelling. Prosecutors allege that while attempting to overtake another vehicle, Kayode lost control and the SUV rammed into a stationary truck parked by the roadside.
The impact of the crash was fatal for two members of Joshua’s team. His longtime personal trainer, Latif Ayodele, and his strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami, both died at the scene. Joshua himself survived but sustained injuries. Emergency responders took him to hospital for treatment. After receiving care, he was discharged and has since been recovering at home.
The Federal Road Safety Corps carried out an initial assessment of the crash. In its earlier findings, the FRSC said the Lexus was suspected to have been moving above the prescribed speed limit. Investigators noted that the vehicle appeared to have lost stability during the overtaking attempt, which led directly to the collision with the stationary truck.
Kayode was first brought before a Sagamu Magistrate’s Court on January 2. At that hearing, the court granted him bail in the sum of ₦5 million. The bail conditions included two sureties who must be deemed reliable by the court.
During earlier proceedings, police officers also informed the court of a challenge with the evidence at the scene. They told the magistrate that both the Lexus SUV and the truck involved had been removed from the location before investigators arrived, which complicated the immediate documentation of the crash site.
The case has drawn wide attention because of Joshua’s profile. The British-Nigerian boxer is a former two-time unified world heavyweight champion and remains one of the most recognized athletes with ties to Nigeria. News of the crash in late December sparked reactions from fans and the sporting community, many of whom expressed concern for Joshua and paid tribute to Ayodele and Ghami.
Road safety advocates have also pointed to the case as another reminder of the risks on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a major artery that links Nigeria’s commercial capital to the southwest and beyond. Overtaking and speeding have been cited repeatedly by the FRSC as leading causes of fatal accidents on the route.
With the matter now adjourned, the court is expected to resume hearing on November 17. At that session, prosecutors are likely to present more evidence and witnesses as they seek to prove the charges against Kayode. The defence is expected to respond in full to the allegations of dangerous and negligent driving.
As at press time, Kayode remained on bail, and the legal process will continue in Ogun State as the court works toward determining responsibility in a crash that ended two lives and shook the circle around one of boxing’s biggest names.
