Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has approved the engagement of prominent US civil rights lawyer Ben Crump to help secure justice for Ghanaians killed in the United States in recent months, at no cost to the Ghanaian taxpayer.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the Ministry said approval had been granted to Ghana’s Permanent Mission in New York to engage Mr Crump’s services.
The decision follows the deaths of two young Ghanaians in New York within days of each other: 15-year-old student Javits Frimpong and 24-year-old Joseph Owusu.
The Ministry also thanked Mr Crump for what it described as a “positive telephone discussion” with the Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Ben Crump engagement comes at no cost to Ghana
According to the statement, reported by GBC and MyJoyOnline, the engagement will be “at no cost to the Ghanaian taxpayer.”
“Ghana will go every length to secure justice and safeguard the dignity of our dear nationals abroad,” the Ministry said.
It added: “We equally acknowledge the cooperation and commitment of US authorities in our collective quest for justice.”
The Ministry has not yet disclosed the specific legal steps Mr Crump will take, which cases he will handle on Ghana’s behalf, or a timeline.
Who is Ben Crump?
Ben Crump is one of the best-known civil rights and wrongful-death lawyers in the United States, widely recognised for representing families in high-profile cases involving the deaths of Black Americans.
On November 6, 2026, his firm announced that he had been retained by the family of Javits Frimpong.
“Javits was a 15-year-old boy walking to school, something children across this country do every morning,” Mr Crump said at the time. “We will stand with Javits’ family every step of the way until the people responsible are held accountable.”
Javits Frimpong case: what we know so far
Javits Frimpong, 15, was shot shortly before 9:30am on Thursday, October 29, 2026, near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont section of the Bronx, a few blocks from DreamYard Preparatory School, where he was a student.
Police said he was shot once in the abdomen and later died at St. Barnabas Hospital. He had moved from Ghana about a year earlier to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong, and hoped to become a doctor.
- Suspects: Police are looking for three teenage boys, aged about 16 to 18, last seen in dark clothing and blue surgical masks.
- Arrests: No arrest has been announced.
- Possible motives being examined: robbery, mistaken identity, and a possible link to bullying at school, according to 3News.
- Family support: An online fundraiser for the family had raised more than US$860,000, 3News reported.
Joseph Owusu death in New York
Joseph Owusu, 24, was a caregiver for people with disabilities and a church chorister. Police notified his mother of his death on October 31, 2026, and the circumstances of his death are still being investigated, with an autopsy underway, GBC reported.
No arrests have been reported in his case. On November 4, Ghanaian diplomats paid a bereavement visit to his family, and Mr Ablakwa joined by phone to pledge that Ghana would work with US authorities to pursue justice.
GhanaTrends earlier reported on these cases and the wider concern over Ghanaian lives lost abroad, including Prince Malik, Javits Frimpong and Joseph Owusu.
Ghana Engages US Lawyer Ben Crump at No Cost to Taxpayers to Seek Justice for Nationals Killed in the US [VIDEO]
What the Ben Crump deal means for Ghanaians abroad
For affected families, the move adds a high-profile legal voice to the push for accountability, alongside Ghana’s diplomatic engagement with US authorities.
For the wider Ghanaian community in the US, it signals that the government intends to follow these cases closely. Mr Ablakwa had earlier said that “an attack on a Ghanaian anywhere in the world is an attack on all of us.”
What happens next
NYPD investigations into the Javits Frimpong shooting are continuing, and the cause of Joseph Owusu’s death is yet to be publicly confirmed.
Further details on the specific role Mr Crump will play for the Ghana mission are expected from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Quick Summary: Ghana Engages US Lawyer Ben Crump at No Cost to Taxpayers to Seek Justice for Nationals Killed in the US
- Ghana’s Foreign Ministry has approved the engagement of US lawyer Ben Crump.
- The engagement is at no cost to Ghanaian taxpayers, the Ministry says.
- Ghana’s Permanent Mission in New York will engage him.
- The move follows the deaths of Javits Frimpong, 15, and Joseph Owusu, 24, in New York.
- Javits was shot on October 29, 2026, while walking to school in the Bronx.
- No arrests have been announced in either case.
- Mr Crump was already retained by Javits Frimpong’s family on November 6.
FAQs on story: Ghana Engages US Lawyer Ben Crump at No Cost to Taxpayers to Seek Justice for Nationals Killed in the US
Why has Ghana hired Ben Crump?
Ghana’s Foreign Ministry says Ben Crump has been engaged to help secure justice for Ghanaians killed in the United States in recent months, including Javits Frimpong and Joseph Owusu.
How much is Ghana paying Ben Crump?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the engagement comes at no cost to the Ghanaian taxpayer.
Has anyone been arrested for killing Javits Frimpong?
No arrest has been announced. NYPD is searching for three teenage suspects seen in dark clothing and blue surgical masks.
Ghana’s decision to bring in Ben Crump at no cost to taxpayers marks a new step in the government’s push for justice for Javits Frimpong, Joseph Owusu and other nationals killed in the US, as investigations continue and families wait for answers.
