The lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Tuesday sympathised with world-renowned boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, following a tragic road accident that claimed the lives of two of his friends who travelled to Nigeria with him.

The fatal crash, which occurred around midday on Monday along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, involved a Toyota Lexus jeep conveying Joshua and three other passengers.

The two occupants of the vehicle who died in the crash were later identified as Ayodele Kelvin Olu, a 36-year-old Nigerian-British citizen, and Gami Sina, a 36-year-old British citizen.

In a condolence message released on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan described the incident as “heart-wrenching and unacceptable,” lamenting the continued loss of lives on Nigerian highways due to poor safety enforcement and weak emergency response systems.

She said, “My heart goes out to Anthony Joshua at this very painful time.

“Losing two close friends in such a tragic manner is devastating. I pray that God grants him strength and comfort, and that the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.”

Beyond expressing sympathy, the senator used the incident to renew her call for decisive national action on road safety, stressing that preventable accidents continue to claim lives across the country.

“Nigerian highways have become corridors of sorrow. This tragedy once again reminds us that road safety in Nigeria is not optional; it is a matter of life and death,” she said.

Akpoti-Uduaghan urged the Federal Road Safety Corps to intensify enforcement of existing traffic and safety regulations, warning that weak compliance and lax monitoring have contributed significantly to fatal crashes nationwide.

“Rules without enforcement are meaningless. The Federal Road Safety Corps must be empowered and compelled to fully enforce road safety regulations across all highways in Nigeria, without fear or favour,” she said.

The lawmaker also called on the Federal Government to establish properly equipped vehicle rest-in stations and lay-bys along major highways to reduce fatigue-related accidents, particularly among long-distance drivers.

“No driver should be forced to drive endlessly without a safe place to rest. Well-equipped vehicle rest stations must be deliberately created across our highways to reduce exhaustion-induced crashes,” Akpoti-Uduaghan noted.

In addition, she advocated for the creation of a dedicated Highway Emergency Rescue Team, equipped with ambulances, trauma care units, and rapid-response personnel to attend to accident victims in real-time.

“Many lives are lost not only because of accidents but because help does not arrive on time.

“Nigeria urgently needs a functional highway emergency rescue system that can respond within minutes, not hours,” she said.

The senator urged policymakers to treat road safety as a national emergency, stressing that sustained reforms would save thousands of lives annually.

“This tragedy should not be another headline we forget tomorrow. It must be a turning point for serious highway safety reforms in Nigeria,” she added.

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s condolence message came barely 24 hours after a senior British diplomat visited Joshua at the Lagos hospital where he was receiving treatment.

The Deputy Head of Mission of the British High Commission, Simon Field, paid a visit following the fatal accident on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

Following the accident, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and his Lagos State counterpart, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also visited the hospital in Lagos where Joshua was receiving medical attention.

Both governors were said to have remained at the facility for several hours to monitor the situation and ensure that the boxer received appropriate care.

President Bola Tinubu was also briefed on the accident.

According to the Ogun State Government, the President spoke separately with Joshua, his mother and Abiodun, during which he conveyed his sympathies and condolences.

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