President John Dramani Mahama has directed that all national flags be flown at half-mast following the tragic deaths of several high-ranking government officials and military personnel in a helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
At an emergency press briefing held at the Presidency, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah confirmed that Defence Minister Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah and Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, were among those who perished in the crash.
Other prominent figures who lost their lives include:
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Samuel Sarpong, former Ashanti Regional Minister
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Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
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Samuel Aboagye, former Member of Parliament
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Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the NDC
Also confirmed dead were the helicopter’s three crew members:
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Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala
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Flying Officer Mane-Twum Ampadu
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Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah
“The President and the government extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of our comrades and the service members who died in the line of duty. All national flags are to be flown at half-mast until further notice,” the Chief of Staff announced.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) earlier confirmed that the military helicopter, identified as a Z9 aircraft, had gone off the radar shortly after taking off from Accra at 9:12 a.m. en route to Obuasi.
According to initial reports, the aircraft crashed at Adansi Akrofum in the Ashanti Region, bursting into flames upon impact. Eyewitnesses described a horrific scene, with the wreckage completely burned and no survivors visible.
A statement from GAF noted that the aircraft had eight people on board, including five passengers and three crew members. The incident occurred as the officials were traveling to participate in the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) in Obuasi.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash.
