By Nadia Ntiamoah
The grief of the Anala family has deepened following the death of Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala — one of the eight victims of the recent military helicopter crash — marking the third sibling the family has lost in just five months, according to report.
The heartbreaking sequence began on March 31, 2025, when Grace Lena Anala, the eldest sister of Squadron Leader Anala, passed away in Virginia, USA.
Her burial took place on June 2, 2025, in Virginia, with the funeral service officiated by her younger brother, Reverend Father Anthony Anala SVD, who had traveled from Mississippi to lead the rites.
In an unimaginable twist of fate, Reverend Father Anthony Anala himself died on June 20, 2025, barely three weeks after burying his sister.
He was laid to rest on June 24, 2025, in an emotional ceremony attended by parishioners, friends, and family.
The family’s grief was compounded on August 6, 2025, when Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, the youngest of the siblings, died in the tragic military helicopter crash that killed eight top government and military officials, including Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.
At a national wreath-laying ceremony held on August 8, 2025, at the Jubilee House to honour the helicopter crash victims, Squadron Leader Anala’s name was called alongside his fallen colleagues — Flying Officer Twum Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah — as the nation paid tribute to their service and sacrifice.
The triple loss has left the Anala family in unimaginable sorrow. Friends, colleagues, and members of the clergy have called for prayers for the surviving relatives, describing the string of tragedies as a cruel blow that words alone cannot capture.
The Anala family’s story now stands as both a personal tragedy and a poignant reminder of the fragility of life — one that has become intertwined with the nation’s broader mourning.
