The uncle of British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua has stated that his nephew would not want the driver involved in the fatal crash that claimed the lives of two of his close friends to be sent to jail.
The driver, Adeniyi Kayode, 46, appeared before a magistrate’s court in Sagamu, Ogun State, on Tuesday, January 20, over the December accident that killed Joshua’s friends Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami.
Magistrate Olajumoke Somefu adjourned the case until February 25 after the prosecution requested a delay to transmit the case file to the Ogun State Attorney-General’s Office for legal advice.
Kayode, who was driving a Lexus 570 SUV when it collided with a stationary truck on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, faces four charges, including dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving, and driving without a valid national driver’s licence.
Speaking to Punch, Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, said the family did not want to see Kayode imprisoned.
“Our son (Joshua) is very religious and takes everything by faith; he will not want anything to happen to the driver,” Adedamola said.
“I see closeness between them, and he will not like him to go to jail because he has his own family, and the children will suffer. An accident can happen anywhere in the world, so they should please spare this man. Let’s move forward.”
Kayode, who had served as Joshua’s driver for three years, had previously been granted bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties of the same amount.
While defence counsel Abiodun Olalekan opposed the prosecution’s request for adjournment, the magistrate approved the delay, setting a new date for the trial.
