Police detain Anthony Joshua’s driver, may charge him tomorrow

The driver of the ill-fated Lexus SUV in the boxing champion Anthony Joshua accident case is currently in the custody of the Ogun State Police Command, Daily Trust learnt on Thursday.

Joshua was involved in a road crash along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on Monday, in which two of his friends died.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had blamed the driver for overspeeding and wrongful overtaking, which reportedly led to the car crashing into a stationary truck on the highway.

Daily Trust reports that Joshua, who was rushed to a Lagos medical facility for treatment, was discharged on Wednesday.

Police sources told our correspondent on Thursday that the driver was equally discharged, but he was escorted down to the Police Command’s headquarters in Abeokuta.

The Police Spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed this in a terse statement.

“The driver of the Lexus SUV is currently in custody in connection with the Anthony Joshua accident case. Investigations are ongoing,” he said.

Speaking with Daily Trust, Babaseyi explained that the investigation is to determine the driver’s culpability in the accident.

He said, “Part of our duty as Nigerian police officers is to investigate accidents. Even failure to report an accident is an offence.

“When the accident happened, FRSC handed over the case to our Motor Traffic Department.

“The car that Anthony Joshua was in is in our custody, but the truck that was stationary is in the FRSC custody because it is closer to the accident scene. So, part of our duty is to investigate the accident.”

However, a police source told Daily Trust that the driver may be arraigned in court tomorrow.

“He was discharged from the hospital and was escorted down to the Ogun State Police Command.

“He was interrogated in line with the accident that happened, and there are chances that he is likely to be charged tomorrow,” the source said.

The police spokesperson declined comment on plans to arraign the driver in court tomorrow, insisting that the investigation is still ongoing.

When asked if the driver was arrested or invited for questioning, he said, “We were proactive enough to be at the hospital. That’s all I can say.”