Helicopter Crash Kills Ghanaian Ministers and Six Others

A military helicopter crash in Ghana’s southern Ashanti region has claimed the lives of all eight people on board, including two senior government ministers, in a devastating blow to the country’s leadership.

Ghana’s Defence Minister, Edward Omane Boamah, and Environment Minister, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, were among those killed, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.

“The president and the government extend their condolences and solidarity to the families of our comrades and soldiers who fell in their service to the nation,” Debrah said.

Also among the deceased were Alhaji Mohammad Muniru Limuna, deputy national security coordinator and a former agriculture minister, and Samuel Sarpong, vice chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The helicopter, operated by the Ghanaian Armed Forces, lost radar contact shortly after departing from Accra around 9:00 am local time on Wednesday. It was en route to Obuasi, a mining town northwest of the capital. The military confirmed that the aircraft was carrying five passengers and three crew members at the time of the crash.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Boamah, a medical doctor turned politician, had a distinguished career in public service, having served as communications minister during President John Mahama’s first term and previously as deputy environment minister. At the time of his death, he was playing a key role in bolstering Ghana’s defence amid rising instability and arms trafficking threats from neighbouring Burkina Faso.

In May, he led a diplomatic delegation to Ouagadougou to engage Burkina Faso’s transitional military government, part of Ghana’s broader effort to navigate regional tensions following the political shifts in Mali and Niger.

Boamah was also on the verge of launching a book titled A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy, a biography of the late President John Atta Mills, who died in office in 2012.

As news of the crash spread, the presidency announced that all national flags would fly at half-staff in mourning. President Mahama also cancelled all official engagements scheduled for the day.

The deaths have sent shockwaves across the country and the West African region, with tributes pouring in from local and international leaders alike.

Further details, including arrangements for a state funeral, are expected in the coming days.