ACCRA, GHANA – A wave of shock and grief has swept across Ghana after a military helicopter carrying high-ranking government officials crashed in the southern Ashanti Region on Wednesday, killing all eight people on board. The nation is mourning the loss of two key cabinet members: Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.
The tragic incident occurred on the morning of August 6, 2025, when the Chinese-made Z9 military helicopter lost radar contact during a flight from the capital, Accra, to the town of Obuasi. Wreckage from the aircraft was later discovered in a heavily forested area within the Adansi Akrofuom district.
In a somber press conference, the President's Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, confirmed the devastating news. "The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country," Debrah announced, declaring a period of national mourning with all flags to be flown at half-mast.
The delegation was reportedly traveling to attend an event focused on combating illegal mining, a significant environmental and security challenge in the gold-rich region. The crash also claimed the lives of several other senior figures, including Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, the Deputy National Security Coordinator, and Samuel Sarpong, the Vice-Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) party. Three Ghana Air Force crew members also perished in the crash.
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| Ghana's Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah (L) and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed in a composite photo created on August 6, 2025. © ITU Pictures of Geneva via Creative Commons (Left) and Ghana's Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (Right) |
President John Mahama has canceled all official activities in light of the tragedy that has created a significant leadership vacuum in the nation's security and environmental sectors.
Minister Boamah, a medical doctor by training who had previously served as Communications Minister, was helming the country's defence at a critical time. His tenure was marked by efforts to strengthen Ghana's borders against the growing threat of extremist groups spilling over from the Sahel region. Minister Muhammed was a key figure in addressing the nation's environmental challenges, with a particular focus on the damage caused by illegal mining activities, the very issue that was the purpose of this fatal journey.
The Ghana Armed Forces have launched a full-scale investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Officials have stated that no distress call was received from the aircraft before it went down, leaving investigators to piece together the final moments of the flight. The incident marks one of the deadliest air disasters in Ghana's recent history and a profound loss for the nation's government and people.
