Ghana: several prominent figures, including 2 ministers, killed in a helicopter crash
In Ghana, two government ministers died in a helicopter accident on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. The Defense and Environment ministers were among the eight people on board the military aircraft, which had gone missing a few hours earlier.
The Defense Minister, Edward Omane Boamah, and his Environment counterpart, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, lost their lives in a military helicopter accident in the south of the country. The aircraft, which was carrying eight people, disappeared from radar soon after taking off from Accra around 9 am local time.
Their deaths were confirmed a few hours after the Ghanaian Air Force issued an alert. “The President and the government extend their condolences and solidarity to the families of our comrades and the fallen military personnel in their service to the Nation,” said Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff of President John Dramani Mahama, in an emotional statement.
In addition to the two ministers, the crash also claimed the lives of Alhaji Muniru Muhammad, former Minister of Agriculture and current Deputy Coordinator of National Security, and Samuel Sarpong, Vice President of the ruling party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
A national mourning and flags at half-mast
The shock is profound among the political class and throughout the country. In a sign of national mourning, flags will be flown at half-mast across the territory, announced the presidency. The Head of State, John Mahama, deeply affected by the tragedy, has suspended his official activities for the day.
The military, for its part, has launched an investigation to determine the precise circumstances of the drama. The helicopter was headed for Obuasi, a city northwest of the capital, but it never reached its destination. Recovery and identification operations are underway, while tributes are multiplying on social media and in the media.