A shocking twist of fate meant Anthony Joshua cheated death moments before the fatal car crash that killed two of his friends, the Daily Mail can reveal.

The World Champion boxer, 36, swapped seats from the front to the back of his SUV before the smash which killed Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele just hours after they arrived in Nigeria for a holiday.

In addition, the Daily Mail has learned that Joshua’s driver did not have a valid driver’s licence before the smash on Nigeria’s most deadly road which hospitalised the multi-millionaire boxer.

The jaw-dropping revelation emerged at the hearing for his driver Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 47, in Sagamu High Court at which he denied all charges against him which included dangerous driving.

Kayode was wearing a black Muslim kaftan and pleaded not guilty when the charges were read out to him by the clerk as members of his family attended. He claims he is innocent and the brakes failed.

Kayode, who has worked for Joshua for more than three years, was granted bail and rushed away by police to Sagamu Correctional Centre for paperwork to be completed.

+6
View gallery

Anthony Joshua swapped seats from the front to the back of the SUV before the crash which killed two of the heavyweight boxer’s friends, a lawyer for the driver has revealed

+6
View gallery

The Daily Mail has obtained a picture of Anthony Joshua as he smiled with a baggage handler called Solomon as he arrived in Nigeria before the fateful journey

+6
View gallery

The Daily Mail can identify the chauffeur that crashed the car carrying Joshua on Monday as 47-year-old Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode

The driver’s lawyer Olalekan Abiodun told the Daily Mail: ’My client has pleaded not guilty and what happened was an accident, I haven’t had a full chance to speak with him yet but I know he is saying the brakes did not work.

‘I also understand that the journey started in Lagos and that initially Anthony had got into the front seat but the driver asked him to swap seats.‘

He did this because Anthony is a big fellow and he couldn’t see the wing mirror properly so he asked him to move and he sat behind the driver.

‘From what I understand Latif was in front and then changed seats with Anthony.’

Bail was set at 5 million Naira (£2,580) but under the Nigerian system this doesn’t have to be cash and valuables are admissible.

Kayode was charged on four counts including dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving, driving without care and attention and driving without a valid drivers license.

His case was adjourned to 20th January this year for his trial.

Outside court the driver’s wife was too hysterical to speak but his son told the Daily Mail his father was innocent and it was ‘just an unlucky accident’.

Ifeoluwa Adeniyi, 19, said: ‘The family is very upset by what’s happened and we are sorry for the deaths of the two people.

‘Dad is not a fast driver, he was following the speed limit and then the brakes failed, he said he was pushing the pedal but nothing was happening.

+6
View gallery

Joshua was in a horrific car crash that killed two of his best friends in Nigeria earlier this week

+6
View gallery

Joshua pictured with friends Latif Ayodele (centre) and Sina Ghami who both died in the crash

‘He tries to swerve and avoid the truck parked by the side of the road but hit it. He’s been driving for Anthony for three years, he’s a good driver.

‘I know that when the journey started in Lagos Anthony was sitting in the front by the driver but my dad asked him to sit behind because he was blocking his view.

‘He was taking Anthony to see his family in Sagamu and had picked them up from the airport and they were only a few minutes from arriving.

‘It’s not his fault, if the truck wasn’t parked there illegally this wouldn’t have happened.’