The Upper West Regional Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old ex-convict believed to be the mastermind behind a series of gruesome murders in the Wa Municipality and parts of the Savannah Region since 2021.

The suspect, identified as Sherif Abdulai, alias Saani, Mohammed, or Critos, confessed to killing 15 people, mostly night watchmen and mentally challenged individuals, over the past four years.

A Trail of Death Since 2021

The arrest brings to light one of the most chilling serial murder cases in recent memory.

Between 2021 and 2022, the Wa Municipality recorded a string of unsolved killings involving night watchmen found dead under mysterious circumstances.

Victims were often discovered at their duty posts with severe head injuries or strangulation marks, sparking fear and outrage among residents.

In 2021 alone, police documented four murder cases in communities such as Kpaguri, Loho, Kambale-Mangu, and the stretch between Kaleo and Loh.

Another eleven cases with identical methods of killing were reported in 2022, including incidents at Kulpong-Yeyiri Road, TI Ahmadiyya School, Goripie near Bulenga, and the Sawmill area around Nakore Petrosol.

Despite multiple operations and community patrols, the killer remained elusive—until now.

The Latest Murder that Unraveled the Case

The breakthrough began after the brutal murder of 55-year-old night watchman, Yahaya Issah, at a mechanic shop in Dobile near the Wa New Market on September 21, 2025.

Police investigators discovered a bloody cement block fragment, a knife placed on the deceased’s face, and bloodstains near the scene.

The post-mortem conducted at the Upper West Regional Hospital confirmed that Issah died from severe head injuries caused by blunt force trauma.

Following days of intensive intelligence operations, police arrested Mahamuda Lamin, 25, in connection with Issah’s death on October 3, 2025.

His interrogation led investigators to Sherif Abdulai, who was captured four days later at Adabiya, a suburb of Wa, with the help of local residents and the Assemblyman of Dondoli.

The Confession of a Cold-Blooded Killer

During questioning, Abdulai reportedly confessed to killing 15 people in Wa Municipality since 2021.

He further admitted to killing three mentally ill men and two watchmen in Bole, one mentally ill man in Banda Nkwanta, and a madwoman in Bamboi.

According to the Upper West Regional Police Commander, ACP Francis Yiribarie, the suspect described how he operated: “He carries his victims on his shoulder and buries them secretly in nearby bushes.”

A search at Abdulai’s hideout—an isolated metal container near the Wa Airstrip—yielded chilling evidence. Police recovered a sack containing meat, a cutlass with uniquely sharpened edges, a bicycle, and a pickaxe handle, all suspected to have been used in the killings.

The deceased’s mobile phone and solar-powered radio were also found in Abdulai’s possession.

Forensic analysis is currently underway to confirm the origin of the recovered items, while both suspects remain in police custody.

Police Response and Ongoing Investigations

Addressing the media during a press briefing in Wa, ACP Yiribarie described the arrests as a “major breakthrough” in a long-standing investigation that had haunted the region.

He credited the success to the strategic guidance of the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, who deployed a special team of intelligence officers from Accra to assist the regional command.

“The IGP challenged our narratives and directed our operations in ways that produced results,” ACP Yiribarie noted.

“Our officers have worked tirelessly, and we are grateful to the community for their cooperation and timely flow of information.”

He added that the police are not ruling out the possibility of other accomplices. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether Abdulai was working alone or as part of a wider criminal network.

Meanwhile, suspect Mahamuda Lamin has been remanded into police custody by the Wa Magistrate Court and is scheduled to reappear on October 21, 2025.

Fear, Relief, and the Search for Closure

Residents of Wa have expressed mixed emotions following the arrest—relief that the long-standing nightmare may be over, but horror at the scale of the killings.

For many, the confession of a man who killed indiscriminately—targeting watchmen who guarded the very properties that kept the city safe—feels almost inhuman.

Police have urged families of missing persons since 2021 to come forward and assist with investigations, as several of Abdulai’s victims may still be unaccounted for.