The Ghana Police Service has announced that the High Court (Wa) has sentenced a man identified as Shariff Abdulai, also known as “Cristos,” to life imprisonment for the murder of Issah Yahaya and 22 other persons.
According to a police press release issued by the Ghana Police Service Public Affairs Unit in the Upper West Region, the sentence was handed down on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
The convict pleaded guilty to killing 16 people in Wa, five in Bole, and one each in Banda Nkwanta and Bamboi.
Police said Shariff Abdulai was arrested on October 6, 2025, following sustained intelligence-led operations and investigations conducted by the service.
He was subsequently arraigned before the Wa High Court after committal proceedings at the District Magistrate Court.
The accused, who was represented by counsel, pleaded guilty to the charge. Upon his own plea, the presiding judge, Justice Osei-Wusu Antwi, sentenced him to life imprisonment with hard labour.
The convict will serve his sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.
The Regional Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rule of law and assured the public of its determination to ensure a safe and secure environment for all law-abiding citizens.
