GJA Urges Media to Halt Circulation of Gory Images Following Tragic Helicopter Crash
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has expressed profound grief over the devastating military helicopter crash in Adansi Akrofuom District, Ashanti Region, on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, which claimed the lives of five senior government officials and three military crew members.
In a statement released on Thursday, August 7, the GJA extended condolences to the bereaved families, President John Dramani Mahama, and the Ghana Armed Forces, describing the incident as a “devastating national loss.”
The crash involved a Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter en route to Obuasi to address illegal small-scale mining, or galamsey, when it went off radar and crashed, leaving the wreckage severely damaged.
The victims include Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Muniru Mohammed, former Parliamentary Candidate Samuel Aboagye, and NDC Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong, alongside crew members Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. The bodies have been retrieved and transported to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
In response, President Mahama has declared a three-day national mourning period starting Thursday, August 7, with flags flying at half-mast. He has also appointed Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson as acting Defence Minister and Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah as acting Environment, Science, and Technology Minister.
The GJA has urged media houses and the public to cease circulating gory images from the crash site, labeling such actions “highly insensitive” and a breach of journalistic ethics. “We must honour the memory of the departed by treating this incident with the dignity and respect the deceased deserve,” the statement emphasized, calling on journalists to uphold professionalism and sensitivity. The association highlighted that sharing graphic content exacerbates the trauma of grieving families and hinders national healing.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) has demanded an independent and transparent investigation into the crash’s cause, amid growing calls for accountability. As the nation mourns, the GJA’s plea underscores the need for ethical reporting during this period of collective grief
