Wa court jails serial killer for life after guilty plea in 23 murders
The convict, Shariff Abdulai, also known as “Cristos,” admitted killing 23 people, including Issah Yahaya, according to a statement from the Upper West Regional Police Command dated 4 March 2026.
A man police describe as a serial killer has been sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour by the High Court in Wa after pleading guilty to multiple murder charges spanning the Upper West and Savannah regions.
The convict, Shariff Abdulai, also known as “Cristos,” admitted killing 23 people, including Issah Yahaya, according to a statement from the Upper West Regional Police Command dated 4 March 2026. Police said the deaths occurred across several locations: 16 in Wa, five in Bole, and one each in Banda Nkwanta and Bamboi.
Police said Abdulai was arrested on 6 October 2025 after intelligence-led investigations, and was later committed by a District Magistrate Court before appearing at the High Court in Wa. Represented by counsel, he pleaded guilty, and the presiding judge, Justice Osei-Wusu Antwi, imposed the life sentence.
The police statement said he will serve his term at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, while the regional command reiterated its commitment to public safety and enforcement of the law.
