Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced Ghana’s decision to engage renowned American civil rights lawyer Ben Crump to help pursue justice for Ghanaians killed in the United States.
Ablakwa disclosed the arrangement in a post on X, saying approval had been granted for Ghana’s Permanent Mission in New York to secure Mr Crump’s services at no cost to the Ghanaian taxpayer.
The decision marks an escalation of Ghana’s efforts to seek accountability over the deaths of its nationals in the US, several of which have attracted public attention in recent months.
In the announcement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the lawyer would assist Ghana in securing justice for all Ghanaians killed in the country.
“Approval has been granted to Ghana’s Permanent Mission in New York to engage the services of celebrated US civil rights lawyer, Ben Crump, at no cost to the Ghanaian taxpayer, to assist Ghana in securing justice for all Ghanaians killed in the US in recent months,” the statement said.
The announcement also disclosed that Ablakwa had held a telephone discussion with the American attorney.
“The Foreign Minister is grateful to Ben Crump for the positive telephone discussion on this all-important matter,” it added.
The Minister’s announcement comes against the backdrop of several reported deaths involving Ghanaian nationals in the US, including the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Javits Badu-Nkansah Frimpong in the Bronx, New York, on October 29, 2026.
The teenager was reportedly shot while walking to school, an incident that generated concern in Ghana and among members of the Ghanaian community in the United States.
Another case involved 24-year-old Joseph Owusu, whose body was discovered inside a large black bag in Canarsie, Brooklyn, on October 30, after he had reportedly been missing for about two weeks. Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death were ongoing.
Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith, had earlier disclosed that five Ghanaians had died in separate circumstances since he assumed office, with firearms involved in most of the cases.
Mr. Crump is known for representing families in high-profile US cases involving civil rights, police brutality and wrongful deaths.
The Ministry has not yet provided details of the specific legal actions Mr. Crump will undertake or the individual cases that will be covered by the engagement.
The government has, however, reiterated its commitment to protecting Ghanaians abroad and working with US authorities to pursue accountability.
