Let’s talk about how one tragic night on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway has now turned into a courtroom story that keeps unfolding.
A Magistrate Court in Sagamu, Ogun State, has adjourned the trial of Adeniyi Kayode, the 46-year-old driver at the centre of the fatal crash that claimed the lives of Anthony Joshua’s personal trainer, Latif Ayodele, and his strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami. The case has now been pushed to February 25, 2026, and for many watching closely, it feels like another painful reminder of how quickly life can change on Nigerian roads.
The driver was first arraigned on January 2 before Magistrate Olufunilayo Somefun, facing a four-count charge that includes dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care and attention causing bodily harm and damage to property, and driving without a valid national driver’s licence. Heavy charges. Heavy consequences. And an even heavier loss.
When the case came up for hearing, the prosecution asked for an adjournment to allow the case file to be duplicated and forwarded to the Ogun State Attorney General’s office through the Department of Public Prosecution for legal advice. The defence was ready to move forward immediately, pushing back against the delay. But in the end, the court granted the prosecution’s request and shifted the case to February 25 for further hearing.
Kayode was granted bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties.
Beyond the legal language and courtroom protocols is a story that still feels unreal to many fans of the former world heavyweight champion. On December 29, 2025, along the ever-busy Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, a Lexus SUV carrying Joshua and members of his team collided with a stationary truck. While Joshua and the driver survived with minor injuries, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami did not.
In boxing, trainers are more than staff. They are family. They are the ones who build champions in silence, behind the cameras, through pain, sweat, discipline and belief. Ghami and Ayodele were not just members of Joshua’s camp. They were pillars.
After the crash, Joshua was hospitalised and later discharged after being declared clinically fit. But the emotional weight didn’t end there. The boxer, alongside his mother, visited the funeral home in Lagos to pay his final respects as preparations were made to repatriate the bodies. He later travelled to the United Kingdom for their burial.
On January 4, 2026, a funeral prayer service was held at the London Central Mosque, where the boxing community gathered to honour two men who helped build one of the biggest names in world boxing.
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Now, as the legal process continues in Sagamu, the story has moved from the highway to the courtroom. But for Joshua, and for everyone who knew Ghami and Ayodele, this is more than a case file. It’s about two lives lost, two careers cut short, and a reminder that behind every champion is a team whose sacrifices rarely make headlines until tragedy strikes.
February 25 now stands as the next chapter in a story no one ever wanted to read.