Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has pushed back against negative social media narratives following the road accident involving British-Nigerian boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, insisting that Nigeria’s emergency response systems functioned effectively during the incident.
In a statement on Tuesday, Omokri compared Nigeria’s handling of Joshua’s accident with high-profile international cases, including the 1997 Paris crash that claimed the life of Princess Diana.
He argued that emergency responders in Nigeria arrived at the scene of Joshua’s accident in under ten minutes, despite the incident occurring outside a major metropolitan area.
According to Omokri, Joshua was transported to a hospital within minutes, with the total emergency response time estimated at about 30 minutes.
He contrasted this with the French emergency response to Princess Diana’s crash, which reportedly took significantly longer to get her to a hospital.
Omokri further noted that, as in the Paris crash where Dodi Fayed and the driver, Henri Paul, died instantly, the fatalities in the Joshua accident occurred immediately on impact and were not the result of negligence by first responders.
He stressed that both crashes were caused by excessive speeding, not poor road conditions. Omokri described the section of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway where Joshua’s accident occurred as a well-constructed, six-lane highway with clear markings and no potholes, calling it “a credit to Nigeria.”
Reacting to online trends suggesting that “Nigeria happened to Anthony Joshua,” Omokri questioned similar narratives in other countries, citing fatal car crashes involving footballer Diogo Jota in Spain, TLC star Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in Honduras, and actor Paul Walker in the United States.
He attributed the criticism to what he described as a confirmation bias on Nigerian social media, where negative stories trend more easily than positive ones.
Omokri urged Nigerians to acknowledge the efforts of emergency agencies, particularly the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), which he said has repeatedly saved lives along the Lagos–Ogun corridor.
Omokri highlighted LASEMA’s rapid response record to accidents, building collapses, and fires, noting that distress calls made through the 767 and 112 toll-free lines often receive swift attention.
“Rather than being an example of Nigeria failing Anthony Joshua, the incident showed Nigeria working as it should,” Omokri said, urging Nigerians to adopt a more balanced and patriotic outlook.
He concluded by calling on citizens to build confidence in the country rather than constantly running it down on social media, adding that “in building Nigeria, you are also building yourself.”
