Ghana government funds mother's travel to son's New York funeral
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the government will cover all costs for Madam Doris Adu Gyamfi to attend the service.
The Government of Ghana will pay for Madam Doris Adu Gyamfi, mother of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong, to travel to New York for her son's funeral. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced this on X on Saturday, October 31, 2026, after New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and US President Donald Trump intervened to secure a visa for her. The minister stated that the government considered it important for Madam Gyamfi to be present to pay her last respects to her son, Javits, who was shot dead in the Bronx on October 29, 2026.
Minister Ablakwa confirmed he spoke with Madam Gyamfi on Friday and assigned officials to help with her visa application, describing her grief as unimaginable. He added that the Mahama administration would also support a dignified funeral for Javits and continue working to secure justice for him. Javits, a Ghanaian student, had moved to the United States about a year prior to join his father, Thomas Frimpong, who suspects the shooting may be linked to school bullying.
The government's support announcement followed Mayor Mamdani's statement that President Trump would facilitate an immediate visa for Madam Gyamfi after a telephone conversation. Investigations into the shooting are ongoing, with no arrests announced. Madam Gyamfi is expected to travel to New York in the coming days.