The son of Adeniyi Kayode, the driver involved in the fatal road accident that claimed the lives of two associates of heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, has dismissed allegations of reckless driving, insisting the crash was caused by brake failure.
The accident occurred on December 29 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, when a Lexus SUV conveying Joshua and members of his team collided with a stationary truck.
Two of the boxer’s close aides — Kevin Latif Ayodele, his personal trainer, and Sina Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach — died as a result of the crash.
Following the incident, Kayode was arraigned by the Ogun State Police Command on a charge of manslaughter and subsequently remanded at the Sagamu Correctional Centre while completing bail conditions.
Speaking on the incident, Ifeoluwa Adeniyi, the 19-year-old son of the driver, said his father was observing speed limits when the brakes suddenly failed.
“My dad is not a reckless driver. He was driving within the speed limit when the brakes stopped working,” Ifeoluwa said.
“He told us he kept pressing the brake pedal, but the car was not responding.”
He explained that his father attempted to avoid the stationary truck but was unable to prevent the collision.
“He tried to swerve to avoid the truck parked by the roadside, but the impact was unavoidable,” he added.
“He has been driving for Anthony Joshua for over three years and is very experienced.
Ifeoluwa also revealed that Anthony Joshua was initially seated in the front passenger seat at the start of the journey but later changed seats.
“When the journey began in Lagos, Anthony was sitting in front, but my dad asked him to move to the back because he was blocking his view,” he said.
“They were heading to Sagamu to see Anthony’s family and were just minutes away from their destination.”
He further argued that the crash might not have happened if the truck had not been parked improperly.
“If the truck was not parked illegally on the road, this accident would likely not have happened,” he said.
Reacting to the development, Olalekan Abiodun, counsel to the driver, described the incident as tragic and maintained that his client had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
“What happened was a very unfortunate accident,” Abiodun said.
“My client insists the brakes failed. He has pleaded not guilty, and investigations are ongoing.”
The lawyer confirmed that Joshua initially occupied the front seat but later swapped positions due to visibility concerns.
“Anthony Joshua is a big man, and his presence in front affected the driver’s view of the side mirror,” Abiodun explained. “That was why he was asked to sit behind the driver.”
The lawyer also reiterated that the journey began in Lagos after Joshua and his team were picked up from the airport and that the crash occurred shortly before they arrived in Sagamu.
