A mental health counsellor has sparked a significant conversation online after sharing her strong reaction to the tragic accident involving world-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua in Nigeria. The incident, which occurred on Monday, December 29, 2025, along the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, resulted in the deaths of two members of Joshua's team: Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele.
Counsellor's Stern Warning and Critique
In a detailed Facebook post, counsellor Joanah Eyere expressed her sorrow over the event but also pointed a critical finger at Joshua's decision-making. She revealed that she had recently discouraged a British friend from visiting Nigeria due to her own safety concerns, framing the boxer's accident as a tragic validation of her warnings.
Eyere stated that Anthony Joshua had brought his friends and coaches to Nigeria "with love" to give them an unforgettable experience, but that this act ultimately cost them their lives. She described the decision as one of the boxer's biggest mistakes, asserting it was a shock from which he would not recover anytime soon.
"What would he tell their families happened?" she questioned in her post. "Would he tell them that a stationary truck was parked by the roadside on a highway? Or that professional help wasn't available?"
Safety Lessons and a Harsh View of Nigeria
The counsellor used the incident as a stark warning to others. She urged people in Nigeria to exercise extreme caution, avoid casual behavior, and not gamble with safety in what she described as an unsafe nation. Her remarks painted a grim picture of the country's systems.
"Sad to say, absolutely nothing in Nigeria makes sense," she wrote. "Everything in Nigeria is uncommon and unheard of in other parts of the world." She concluded her post with prayers for the deceased and wishes for Joshua's speedy recovery in body and mind.
Public Backlash and Alternative Perspectives
The counsellor's comments did not go unchallenged. Many Nigerians reacted strongly online, arguing that her narrative was misleading and unfairly blamed the country for a tragic accident.
Commenter Olufunmilola Bucknor pointed out that the deceased team members were not first-time visitors to Nigeria and were, in fact, Nigerians themselves. Bucknor suggested the accident was likely a result of overspeeding, a universal risk, rather than a systemic Nigerian failure.
"So accidents can't happen in those African countries you are taking your friend to?" asked another user, Akintunde Oluwatola. "AJ is a regular visitor to 9ja... What happened is unfortunate. It was an accident which wasn't caused by any naija system."
Several others echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that running into a stationary vehicle suggested issues like driver error, fatigue, or excessive speed, which are global problems, not uniquely Nigerian ones. They cautioned against using the tragedy as a tool to demarket the nation.
Eyewitness Account of the Crash
Adding detail to the event, an eyewitness previously shared her account of the accident scene. The woman explained that she and her husband were fixing a flat tyre on the same expressway when the crash occurred.
She described how an SUV carrying Anthony Joshua and his two team members crashed into a stationary truck. The impact claimed the lives of Ghami and Ayodele on the spot, while the British-Nigerian boxer escaped with what were reported as minor injuries.
This tragic event on one of Nigeria's busiest highways has ignited a dual conversation: one about personal grief and loss, and another, more heated debate about national perception, road safety, and the narratives spun from misfortune.
