Police in Nigeria are also searching for the driver of the stationary truck that a car carrying Anthony Joshua crashed into, claiming the lives of two friends. The driver reportedly fled from the scene after the car crashed into the back of the stationary vehicle on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, tragically killing Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, both 36.

The hired driver of the Lexus SUV carrying Joshua and his friends could face potential prosecution for reckless driving. A source from the Federal Road Safety Corps stated: “Preliminary reports indicate the driver exceeded speed limits and overtook dangerously before the crash. These are serious offences under Nigerian law and can attract criminal liability if fatalities are involved,” reports GB News.

The driver has been released from hospital and has provided a statement to officers.

Police Commander Babatunde Akinbiyi, from Nigeria’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), said preliminary investigations indicated the Lexus “experienced a tyre burst due to excessive speed” before it “lost control”.

Authorities have impounded the stationary truck that the car crashed into, which is now being held at the Federal Road Safety Corps facility near the Sagamu interchange.

Images and footage from the crash site appear to show the lorry positioned near the inside lane of the three-lane motorway.

Anthony Joshua is reportedly in a “stable” condition, and medical staff expect he will stay at Duchess International Hospital in Lagos until the new year. On Monday, the 36-year-old former heavyweight champion reportedly said: “I feel pain all over my body”.

The three men were en route to the Nigerian city of Sagamu, in the south-west of the country, to spend the festive season with Joshua’s family.

Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, said: “The incident shook our family deeply. Though our son, Anthony, is alive, two of his friends, who came to celebrate with us, lost their lives.

“This is a serious tragedy, not only for our family, but for Ogun State, Nigeria, and the world at large. We are deeply saddened that two people very close to Anthony did not survive. Our hearts are with their families.”

Boxing expert Steve Bunce referred to Mr Ghami and Mr Ayodele as “two of Joshua’s closest friends” and as “massive parts of the Anthony Joshua machine”.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “They’ve been with him, if not from the start, at least very early on. Latz is AJ’s personal trainer and Sina is his strength and conditioning man. They are with him all the time.”

Just hours before the crash, Joshua posted a video to Instagram of himself and Ayodele playing table tennis.