‘Bafemi, please come back’ – Widow of Squadron Leader Anala Mourns Late Husband

Ursula Wematu Asaghedewe, widow of Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, paid a heartfelt tribute to her late husband. The tribute was delivered during an interdenominational state funeral honoring the eight distinguished individuals who died in the Sikaman helicopter crash.

Squadron Leader Anala was among those who perished on August 6, 2025, when a Ghana Air Force helicopter crashed in a forested area in Sikaman, within the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region. The team was en route to Obuasi to participate in the launch of the government’s Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rComdsep), an initiative aimed at bringing order to small-scale mining and tackling illegal mining.

The crash also claimed the lives of Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed, NDC Vice Chairman Dr. Samuel Sarpong, and former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye. The other crew members who died alongside Squadron Leader Anala were Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.

In her tribute, Mrs. Asaghedewe painted a vivid picture of the life she shared with her husband, describing him as a devoted partner and father. “Bafemi, as I affectionately called him, was my answered prayer. From the moment I met him, my life has never been the same,” she said, recounting his dedication to both family and country. She shared tender memories, including Peter’s care during the birth of their daughter, Wenlie Wesoamo Anala, and his promise to return for the child’s christening.

Her words reflected both grief and admiration for her husband’s unwavering sense of duty. “Before you left, Wenlie held you back for an extra week because she was not feeling well. Now I know why she was holding you back from returning to Ghana. But for your dedication to your work, you had to make the most difficult sacrifice, to go and serve our country, leaving behind a sick new baby and a new mother who was still healing,” she narrated.

Mrs. Asaghedewe also expressed the personal anguish of losing her husband so suddenly, recounting the daily video messages he used to send her and the family. “Aaaahhh, Bafemi, you left me broken! This was not the plan, Peter. This was not it! Bafemi, please come back. Please come and hold me and tell me this was all a very terrible nightmare and that it is over now,” she lamented.

She concluded her tribute by highlighting her faith and hope of reunion in the afterlife: “I am supposed to be consoled with the fact that you died knowing God and that there is rest for you until we meet again. But I cannot come to terms with this. I will forever cherish the moments I spent with you, and I certainly cannot wait for that glorious reunion. Bafemi, my love, journey well. I love you.”

The state funeral, is attended by family, colleagues, clergy, diplomatic community, government officials and the public.