In a significant update following the tragic Ghana Air Force helicopter crash earlier this week, President John Dramani Mahama has announced that forensic reports for two prominent victims, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed and Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed, were received electronically on Saturday. The results for the remaining six individuals onboard the ill-fated aircraft have also arrived, marking a critical step in the identification process ahead of planned burials.
The crash, which occurred on 6 August 2025 in the northern region of Ghana, claimed the lives of all eight passengers, including high-profile figures such as Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed. The helicopter, a Chinese-made Harbin Z-9EH, was en route to an event addressing illegal mining in the Ashanti Region when it crashed into a forested mountainside, exacerbated by foggy conditions reported by local farmers.
President Mahama, addressing the nation via a televised statement broadcast by Ghana’s Television, GTV, emphasised the urgency of the forensic analysis. “Forensic reports of Murtala Mohammed and Muniru Limuna were received electronically yesterday, the results for the other six have also arrived,” he said, reflecting the government’s commitment to expediting the process. The electronic delivery of the initial reports, conducted by specialists in South Africa, is believed to align with Islamic burial traditions that require prompt interment, a practice detailed in a 2020 study by the Journal of African Religions on Ghanaian funeral customs.
The recovery of the victims’ bodies, severely burnt beyond recognition due to a post-crash fire, prompted the dispatch of samples for forensic identification. A state funeral is scheduled for 15 August to honour the deceased, including National Democratic Congress Vice-Chairman Samuel Sarpong and other officials.
Investigations into the crash are underway, with the Ghana Armed Forces and National Fire Service collaborating to analyse the retrieved flight recorder, or “black box,” as reported by the BBC on 8 August. The incident has raised questions about the safety of military aircraft, particularly amid reports of unusual weather patterns and rising jihadist activity in the region, which may have contributed to the accident.
Public reaction on social media platform X has been mixed, with some users, such as@Ashtownnboy, questioning the timing of the electronic reports. “Is it not surprising that they coincidentally find the ones whose bodies were going to be buried early first?” they posted, reflecting a broader sentiment of scepticism. Others, including@THE INTELLECT, suggested the expedited process was necessary to meet religious obligations, while calls for transparency, such as@true_carino’s demand for public disclosure of the reports, have gained traction.
President Mahama has pledged a thorough investigation into the crash, promising to address the nation’s concerns. However, the incident has reignited discussions about government accountability, with some drawing parallels to past controversies surrounding Mahama, including a 2016 bribery allegation investigated by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), though no direct link to this event has been established.As the country mourns, attention now turns to the forthcoming funeral and the ongoing probe into the crash’s cause. For further details, see the original announcement:
Bigstuff Media Ghana will continue to provide updates as the situation developes.