Photos from Reflections and Memorial Service in Honour of Eight Departed
The Forecourt of the State House in Accra became the nation’s focal point of grief on Saturday evening as Ghanaians gathered for the Evening of Reflections and Memorial in honour of the eight victims of Wednesday’s tragic military helicopter crash. The solemn occasion formed part of the official three-day national mourning period declared by President John Dramani Mahama to commemorate the lives lost in the August 6, 2025, disaster in the Adansi-Akrofuom District.
Among the departed were high-ranking public servants, including Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, alongside six others who perished when the Ghana Air Force helicopter went down.
In a moving tribute, President Mahama urged Ghanaians to find unity and strength in the face of shared loss, describing the victims as “a guiding light” whose dedication to public service should inspire the nation. He stressed the importance of preserving their legacies as part of the country’s collective memory.
The President also announced that burial rites for the two Muslim victims — Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed and former Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Muniru Limuna Mohammed — would be held on Sunday, August 10, in accordance with Islamic customs.
The memorial served as a prelude to the state funeral scheduled for Friday, August 15, 2025, at the Black Star Square. The event will feature an interdenominational service, bringing together people of diverse faiths and backgrounds to bid a final farewell.
Dignitaries present included President Mahama and First Lady Lordina Mahama; Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang; President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio; former President John Agyekum Kufuor; former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; and Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Bagbin. Several ministers, Members of Parliament from both the NDC and NPP, the bereaved families, and members of the public also attended to pay their respects.
