Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has criticised Nigerians on social media for what he described as a hasty attempt to “de-market” the country following a road accident involving British-Nigerian boxing star Anthony Joshua in Ogun State.

Joshua, a former world heavyweight boxing champion, reportedly sustained injuries in a fatal accident on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on Monday morning, an incident that triggered widespread reactions online.

In the aftermath, unverified claims circulated on social media alleging that there was no prompt emergency response at the scene, a narrative that quickly gained international traction.

Reacting in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Omokri said foreign media outlets in countries such as India and Australia quoted Nigerian social media users while portraying the incident as evidence of a “failed state.”

“Instead of de-marketing Nigeria, why don’t you and I wait for the full details of what occurred to our beloved boxing champion before making dramatic and damaging statements whose veracity we cannot be sure of?” Omokri wrote.

He faulted critics for drawing conclusions without firsthand knowledge, noting that many relied solely on videos shared online.

“You were not at the scene of the accident; you are relying on videos you see online; you don’t know the full details. But your first instincts are to attack Nigeria and paint the worst possible picture to the outside world,” he added.

Omokri claimed eyewitnesses began assisting Joshua within two minutes of the accident and that professional responders arrived shortly after. According to him, Joshua was already close to a hospital before an ambulance arrived, countering claims that emergency assistance took up to an hour.

He also noted that the two individuals who reportedly died in the accident were foreign nationals who suffered fatal trauma immediately on impact.

“How is that the fault of emergency response personnel? I see no blame for Nigeria in this, but I will still wait for the full official statement,” he said.

The former aide urged Nigerians to exercise restraint and patriotism by awaiting official reports before making sweeping judgments about the country.

Drawing comparisons, Omokri said emergency response delays occur even in developed countries, citing the death of Princess Diana in Paris—where it reportedly took 101 minutes to transport her to a hospital as well as a football-related accident in Spain involving Diogo Jota.

“Please be patriotic and wait for an official statement before hastily crucifying Nigeria,” Omokri concluded.