Mum Lindsey Jacobs said the losses of Sina Ghami and Kevin ‘Latif’ Ayodele was like Anthony Joshua had ‘his arms cut off’, following the car crash in Ogun State, Nigeria
A close friend of two people who died in a crash involving Anthony Joshua has said the death of his two close friends will “crucify him” while giving a devastating verdict on the future of the superstar boxer’s career.
The Brit, 36, miraculously escaped a horror car wreck that killed his two close friends, Sina Ghami and Kevin ‘Latif’ Ayodele, in Ogun state, Nigeria, on Monday morning. Tributes to the pair, who died on impact, have poured in over the last 24 hours, with friends and fans gathering at the Evolve Gym in Colindale, north west London, which was owned by Mr Ghami.
Among those leaving tributes was one mum, who revealed the two losses would “crucify” Joshua, and have a massive impact on his boxing career.
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Lindsey Jacobs was among mourners who left flowers and written tributes to Sina. The caterer was accompanied by her daughter, who asked not to be named but counts Sina, Kevin and AJ as pals. Lindsey, from Edgware, said: “How AJ is going to cope without them I don’t know. I think he’ll retire. I don’t think he can go on without his two best mates.
“They were best friends. Like family, like his brother. He said to us: ‘you watch AJ, he’s going to be somebody’ and he was right. They were best friends.
“The three of them were inseparable. They went everywhere together. If you watch all of his fights you’ll see Sina, Kevin, AJ all there holding the belts. It’s such a dreadful loss of life – two best friends, he relied on them for everything. I don’t think he’s going to cope with this.
“Its like both his arms have been cut off. I think he’ll retire. I don’t think he can possibly go on without them. I may be mistaken, but lets just hope he’s OK physically and mentally because I don’t know what happened, I don’t know how it happened, but it’s a tragic… an absolute tragedy.”
Lindsey first found out about the crash through her daughter, who has been left distraught by videos circulating online of both AJ and both Sina and Kevin, known as Latz, in the aftermath of the crash.
She said: “I’ve seen the videos of AJ getting out the car and somebody posted another one, which my daughter told them to take down.” Lindsey said it showed Sina “out of the car on the floor”. She added: “It’s disrespectful to the family. It’s not necessary for any of us to see it… it’s just not… I don’t want to see it.”
“I want to remember Sina the way I always knew him – bright, vibrant, funny, generous of heart man, I don’t want to see anything else.”
Asked if she found it upsetting to see the video of AJ, she said: “Very. Terribly to see that man in such pain. He’s a man mountain, he must have been in pain and he must have known what’s happened and it will crucify him.” Lindsey first got to know Sina while they both regularly walked their French Bulldogs in a local park.
She said: “I remember him making me run round the park saying ‘come on auntie, come on!’. He used to call me auntie and say ‘come on, auntie!’. He would be running round the park.”
“I last saw him a couple of months ago. My daughter saw him recently – she comes to the gym. I just can’t believe he’s gone. In the blink of an eye. It’s an impossible situation. He was so young, so full of life, so fit. So many people will mourn him. He will be very sorely missed by both of us.”
Lindsey left a note outside the gym alongside flowers. It said: “Always in my thoughts. A humble man who always called me Aunty, c’mon. Rest in peace Sina. All my love. Aunty Lindsey xxx.”
Lindsey’s daughter also left a note alongside a bouquet of flowers. It said: “Sina, I don’t even know what to say! I am absolutely heartbroken, you never deserved this! Always the life and soul, the reason I started the gym ‘come on’. You were such a good person and I will cherish your memory forever. Always in my thoughts and I will miss you. RIP babe + thank you.”
Another woman, who accompanied the pair, also left a note alongside a bouquet of flowers. It said: “Sina, rest in peace babe, always in my thoughts, lost for words for once. ‘Come onnnnn’. Love you.”
