Nation in Grief: Defence and Environment Ministers Killed in Helicopter Crash

Ashanti Region, Ghana – 6 August, 2025 – A devastating military helicopter crash which occurred in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, has claimed the lives of Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, and Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. The helicopter, a Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 aircraft, was en route to Obuasi when it went off radar, prompting an immediate response from emergency services.

The helicopter was carrying eight individuals, including three crew members and five passengers. Besides the two ministers, the passengers included a presidential staffer, Samuel Sarpong, and the ministers' security detail. Graphic footage from the scene showed charred remains of several victims, but officials have not released a full list of the deceased or injured.

The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed that efforts are underway to trace and assess the wreckage of the helicopter. The cause of the crash remains unknown, and authorities have yet to provide further details. The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, rushed to the crash scene upon receiving the news, abandoning an anti-illegal mining event he was attending.

The Presidency is set to address the nation following the incident, with details expected to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding the crash. This incident comes over a year after a military aircraft crash-landed near Bonsukrom in the Western Region, fortunately resulting in no fatalities.

Read below a statement from the Ghana Armed Force on the tragic incident:

Source - Lead News Online/Siela Amerley Biala