Samuel Aboagye’s Widow Sued by Family Over DNA Test Refusal in Helicopter Crash Probe

In a heartbreaking twist to the national tragedy that claimed the life of Samuel Aboagye, a prominent figure in Ghana's political and disaster management circles, his family has hauled his US-based widow to court. The dispute centers on her alleged refusal to allow a DNA test on their young daughter, Queen Alisa Aboagye, as part of an ongoing police investigation into the charred remains from the fatal August 6 military helicopter crash.

Aboagye, 44, was among eight high-profile victims aboard the Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter when it plummeted into the Sikaman Forest near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region. The aircraft, en route to an event on combating illegal mining, carried Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, and other dignitaries, including National Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong. President John Mahama declared three days of national mourning in the crash's aftermath, with flags at half-mast and a memorial service held at the State House.

The victims' remains were so severely burned that identification required advanced forensic analysis, with samples airlifted to South Africa for DNA matching. Results for six victims, including Aboagye, were returned electronically by August 11, enabling partial closure for their families. Yet, for Aboagye's immediate kin, grief has been compounded by internal strife.

Born on December 23, 1980, Samuel Aboagye was no stranger to public service. A former NDC parliamentary candidate for Obuasi East in the 2024 elections—where he narrowly lost by just 19 votes to NPP's Patrick Boakye-Yiadom—he rose to become Deputy Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in February 2025. Known as a grassroots champion, Aboagye donated GH¢180,000 to aid victims of clashes between AngloGold Ashanti and illegal miners earlier this year, and GH¢25,000 to those affected by a devastating fire at the Boete timber market in March 2024.

Friends and colleagues remember him as a devoted family man. Just a week before the crash, Aboagye attended a funeral in Kumasi with former MP Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, who revealed that the late NADMO official had planned a trip to the United States the following week to visit his wife, Abigail Salami Aboagye, and their daughter. Heartwarming videos of the couple dancing to hiplife tunes resurfaced online shortly after his death, drawing widespread sympathy for the young widow. At his state funeral, Abigail broke down during a tribute that recounted a loving birthday message from her husband, sent mere days before the disaster.

Aboagye also left behind an older daughter from a previous marriage, who has since cooperated fully with authorities.

The Obuasi District Court is now the stage for a bitter legal showdown: Aboagye Family v. Abigail Salami Aboagye. Filed on November 10, the suit accuses the widow of obstructing the police investigation by repeatedly ignoring requests to present Queen Alisa for DNA sampling. Family representatives claim this delay has not only hindered victim identification but also stalled estate proceedings and official processes tied to Aboagye's death benefits.

In a desperate workaround, the family reportedly sourced DNA from another child Aboagye fathered outside his marriages, a move they describe as "painful and unnecessary." Abigail, currently residing in the US, has countered with her own injunction, urging the court to block the DNA test altogether. Court sources indicate her legal team argues the request is invasive and potentially motivated by ulterior motives beyond mere identification.

Fueling the fire are unverified allegations of marital discord. Local media and social commentators have buzzed with claims that Abigail was involved in an extramarital affair with an unnamed Member of Parliament from the Ashanti Region—a liaison purportedly ongoing even before Aboagye's death. Ghanaian blogger Gabs (Stephen Adjetey Abban) amplified the gossip on social media, quipping, "If a handsome man like the late Samuel Aboagye... wasn’t enough for his wife... then maybe you need to remember: another name for Satan is Lucifer." While the MP's identity remains withheld amid the sensitivity of the matter, the rumors have ignited public debate on trust, fidelity, and the pressures faced by public figures' families.

Neither Abigail nor her representatives have publicly addressed the affair claims. The Aboagye family, through spokesperson Chukwu Joseph, emphasized to Angel FM that their priority is "justice for Samuel and closure for all," denying any intent to tarnish reputations.