GHANA MOURNS AS DEFENSE, ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS DIE IN MILITARY HELICOPTER CRASH

Ghana is in mourning following the tragic deaths of Defense Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, and six others in a military helicopter crash on Wednesday August 6, 2025.
The Ghana Air Force Z-9 helicopter was en route from Accra to Obuasi when it went off radar and crashed in the dense forest of the Ashanti (Adansi) region. Authorities confirmed that all eight occupants, including high-ranking government officials and crew members, perished in the crash.
Among the dead were:
Edward Omane Boamah – Minister of Defense
Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed – Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation
Muniru Mohammed Limuna – Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
Samuel Sarpong – Vice-Chairperson of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Samuel Aboagye – Former parliamentary candidate
Three military crew members
The officials were reportedly on their way to assess the government’s crackdown on illegal mining in the mineral-rich region.
President John Mahama described the incident as a "national tragedy" and has declared three days of national mourning, with all flags flying at half-mast. All official government engagements have been suspended as investigations into the cause of the crash begin.
Ghanaians have flooded social media with tributes, expressing shock and sorrow over the loss of key national leaders. The military has cordoned off the crash site, and a formal board of inquiry has been launched.
This marks one of the worst aviation disasters in Ghana’s recent political history.