The High Court in Wa has sentenced serial killer Shariff Abdulai, alias ‘Cristos’, to life imprisonment in hard labour for the murder of Issah Yahaya and 22 others.
A press release issued by the Public Affairs Unit of the Ghana Police Service Upper West Regional Command on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, said the court handed down the sentence following the convict’s guilty plea.
The statement detailed that Abdulai pleaded guilty to killing 16 people in Wa, five in Bole, and one each in Banda Nkwanta and Bamboi, bringing the total to 23 murders.
The presiding judge, His Lordship Justice Osei-Wusu Antwi, convicted and sentenced him to life imprisonment in hard labour upon his own plea. The convict was represented by counsel, and the court accepted the plea as guilty.
Abdulai was arrested on October 6, 2025, following sustained, intelligence-led operations and investigations by the police. He was subsequently committed from the District Magistrate Court and arraigned before the High Court on March 4, 2026.
He is to serve his sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.
The Upper West Regional Police Command reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring a safe and secure atmosphere for law-abiding citizens, stating that it will not relent in its efforts.