A High Court sitting in the Wa area of Ghana on Wednesday sentenced a serial killer, Shariff Abdulai, also known as ‘Cristos’, to life imprisonment for his involvement in multiple murders, including the killing of Issah Yahaya and several others.

 

 

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Ghana Police Service on Wednesday.

 

According to the statement published on the police service’s official website, Abdulai admitted in court to killing 23 people in different parts of the country after pleading guilty to the charges brought against him.

 

 

The statement, signed by the Upper West Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Yiribaare, revealed that the convict confessed to murdering 16 victims in Wa, five in Bole, and one each in Banda Nkwanta and Bamboi.

 

Abdulai was apprehended by the police on October 6, 2025, following sustained intelligence-led operations and investigations carried out by security operatives.

 

 

After his arrest, he was initially taken before a District Magistrate Court, which later committed the case to the High Court for trial. He was subsequently arraigned before the High Court on March 4, 2026.

 

During the proceedings, the accused, who was represented by a legal counsel, entered a straightforward guilty plea to the charges against him.

 

Based on his admission, the presiding judge, Justice Osei-Wusu Antwi, sentenced him to life imprisonment with hard labour.

 

 

The statement added that Abdulai would serve his sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.

 

The police command reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rule of law, stressing that it would continue to intensify efforts to ensure the safety and security of law-abiding citizens.