Two close friends and members of Anthony Joshua’s inner circle, Abdul Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, have died following a road traffic accident in Lagos, Nigeria.
Joshua was also involved in the crash and is currently in a stable condition in hospital, according to reports.
The incident occurred on Monday on a busy stretch of the Lagos–Ibadan expressway. Local media reports say the vehicle Joshua and his companions were travelling in collided with a stationary truck.
The heavyweight boxer had recently returned for an exhbition match, beating YouTuber Jake Paul on Netflix just a couple of weeks ago.
It was his first action after more than a year away from the ring and he was in Nigeria to spend the New Year period with family when the crash took place.
Abdul Latif, who was born Kevin Ayodele, converted to Islam in 2012 and later adopted the name Abdul Latif, often shortened to Latz. Sina was also Muslim and came from an Iranian background.
Faith played a key role in Abdul Latif’s life, and he frequently shared reflections on his spiritual journey on social media.
In a pinned Instagram post from October 2020, he wrote: “Finding Islam in 2012 has been my biggest blessing Alhamdulilah
“It allowed me to meet so many good brothers Muslim and none Muslim and build a strong brotherhood. Allah has truly blessed me in this Dunya and will be forever grateful Alhamdulilah.”
Clips are also emerging of him talking about the importance of Islam to him
Tributes pour in
Tributes have flooded social media following confirmation of the deaths of Ayodele and Ghami.
Figures from the sporting and online community also paid tribute, expressing condolences to the families and to Joshua.
Joshua has previously spoken publicly about his own close relationship with Islam and Muslims, describing the faith as having played a significant role in his life.
