Ghana’s Minister of Environment, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, and Minister of Defence, Edward Omane Boamah, have been confirmed dead following a helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6, 2025
The military helicopter, which carried three crew members and five passengers, disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from Accra at around 9:00 a.m. It was en route to Obuasi, a town located northwest of the capital.
Boamah, who was appointed Defence Minister earlier this year following President John Mahama’s inauguration in January, was onboard alongside Muhammed, who headed the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology.
Initial reports from the Ghana Armed Forces acknowledged the aircraft’s disappearance but did not disclose the identities of those aboard. A subsequent statement from the President’s Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, confirmed the crash and the death of all eight individuals on board.
“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 stated.
Among the other victims were Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Minister of Agriculture, and Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Boamah, a trained medical doctor, had served in several key roles, including as Communications Minister during Mahama’s 2012–2017 presidency, and as Deputy Minister for Environment. At the time of his death, he was overseeing Ghana’s defence sector amid growing security concerns along the country’s northern border with Burkina Faso due to jihadist threats.
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SAD