Samples of the remains of the eight individuals who lost their lives in Wednesday’s tragic military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region have been flown to South Africa for advanced DNA analysis to confirm their identities.

While the 37 Military Hospital in Accra was initially expected to conduct the autopsies and identification, the condition of the bodies required more specialised forensic procedures, leading to the decision to transfer them abroad.

The Interior Minister, Mohmammed Mubarak Muntaka, explained that the decision was taken stemming from the complex situations of the remains, adding that the government is determined that all the remains are identified before being handed over to the families for burial.  

The victims included two cabinet ministers — Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed — as well as:

Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator

Samuel Aboagye, former parliamentary candidate

Dr. Samuel Sarpong, National Vice Chairman of the NDC and former Regional Minister

Also among the dead were the three Air Force personnel operating the ill-fated Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter:

Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala

Flight Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu

Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah

The crash occurred during an official flight to Obuasi.

A sombre reception ceremony was held at the Air Force Base in Accra on the evening of Thursday, August 7, as the remains were flown in from the crash site.

Chief of Staff Julius Debrah led a high-level government delegation to receive the coffins, which were draped in the national colours and transported under heavy military escort.

The event was marked by solemn prayers, a minute of silence, and the grief-stricken presence of senior military officers, state officials, and bereaved families — a reflection of the deep national mourning for the fallen