Adedamola Joshua, uncle of former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, has revealed that the boxer’s phone was stolen by bystanders at the scene of a tragic car accident that claimed the lives of two of his close friends.
The accident occurred just six hours after Joshua arrived in Nigeria for his annual holiday, casting a shadow over what was supposed to be a joyful reunion with family.
Anger Over Bystander Behavior
Speaking to The PUNCH, Adedamola expressed both anger and disappointment over the actions of some individuals who gathered at the crash site. He accused them of prioritizing filming and theft over assisting the victims.
“Some Nigerians act badly at accident scenes,” he said.
“When they are supposed to help, you will see them bringing out their phones to make videos and even steal from the victims. That is not right.”
He added that Joshua himself was deeply affected by the incident.
“We even heard that Anthony Joshua’s phone was stolen during the accident; such attitudes must be discouraged. The police and other emergency responders should get to the scene of an accident on time and cordon off the place,” he noted.
Tragic Timing and Weak Emergency Response
According to Adedamola, Joshua had been travelling to Sagamu to visit family when the accident occurred.
“It has really left us in shock because this is not the first, the second, or the third time he has been coming home, so what happened? Why now?” he asked, reflecting the family’s disbelief.
“He was eager to see his family in Sagamu, only for things to go the way they went.”
Beyond the emotional toll, the uncle criticised what he described as a weak emergency response.
The absence of immediate professional medical care left the family concerned for the safety of those involved.
“I want to condemn the lackadaisical attitude of our government towards anything emergency. To see Joshua crossing the median after the accident when he was supposed to be on a stretcher was distressing,” he said.
The incident has sparked renewed calls for better accident management and emergency response systems in Nigeria, highlighting concerns about public safety and the need for stricter enforcement against bystander interference at crash sites.
