British boxer Anthony Joshua is in a “stable” condition after being injured in a car crash that killed two people in Nigeria, authorities say.
The former two-time world heavyweight champion, 36, was travelling in the back of a black Lexus when the SUV hit a stationary truck on a busy highway in Makun, Ogun State.
Joshua, who is the son of British-Nigerian parents, suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, while two passengers in the vehicle died, according to officials. Another passenger was also injured.
Writing on X, the country’s president Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed his “deepest sympathies” to the boxer following the “tragic accident”.
He said: “As a sportsman, you have always shown courage, discipline, and unwavering love for our country. These are qualities that have made you a source of national pride.”
“I pray for strength, wisdom, and grace for you during this painful period. May God grant you a speedy recovery and repose to the souls of the departed,” the leader added.
The Ogun State government said in a statement that “preliminary reports indicate that two male foreign nationals died on the spot”.
Joshua and another passenger were taken to a “specialised facility” in the country’s largest city, Lagos.
The pair are both in a “stable” condition and “do not require any emergency interventions at this time”, according to the governments of Ogun and Lagos States.
They added that Joshua has “since been relating well with his family”.