The Upper West Regional Police Command has announced a major breakthrough in its investigation into a series of murder cases recorded in the region since 2021.
Two suspects, Sherif Abdulai, 30, and Mahamuda Lamin, 25, have been arrested in connection with the gruesome murders.
According to the police, the suspects are believed to be behind 15 murder cases recorded in the region between 2021 and 2022, including the recent murder of a watchman, Issah Yahaya, at Wa-Dobile on September 21, 2025.
The victims were mostly watchmen who were attacked while on duty and either strangled to death or suffered head injuries from being hit in the head with blocks.
The police investigation, led by a team of intelligence officers and investigators from the National Headquarters, revealed that the suspects would target watchmen and sometimes mentally challenged persons, killing them and burying their bodies in bushes.
The breakthrough came after weeks of intense intelligence work, and the suspects were arrested on October 3 and 6, 2025, respectively. A search on one of the suspects led to the retrieval of a Villaon keypad mobile phone and an X-Base solar-powered portable radio, which were later identified as property of the deceased, Issah Yahaya.
Speaking at a press conference, Upper West Regional Police Commander, ACP. Francis Yiribare, stated that the suspects confessed to the crimes, and a cutlass and bicycle recovered from their hideout have also been identified as belonging to the deceased.
“The police are still investigating to establish whether or not there are other persons involved,” ACP. Yiribare, stated.
Brief facts on the case
On 21/09/2025 at about 1830 hours, the deceased, Yahaya Issah, aged 55 years, was found dead in a motor mechanic shop at Dobile near Wa New market. Upon an inspection of the scene, Police found a broken particle of cement block mixed with blood, a knife placed on the deceased face and a cement block stain with blood behind the motor mechanic shop.
Police immediately commenced investigation into the case. The body of the deceased was conveyed to the Upper West Regional Hospital, Wa for autopsy. A post-mortem examination was conducted by the Pathologist at the Upper West Regional Hospital on September 21, 2025, and he gave the verbal cause of death as “severe head injury due to blunt force head trauma”.
The body was subsequently released to the family for burial in line with Islamic tradition.
Investigations so far
Following a careful review of the cases and the pattern that seemed consistent in all the cases, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno put together a team of intelligence officers and investigators from the National Headquarters and dispatched them to the Upper West Region to work with the regional team on the investigation.
Through initial forensic analysis and acting on credible intelligence, on October 3, 2025, the team first arrested suspect Mahamuda Lamin. After interrogation, there was some leads pointing to a second suspect.
With the assistance of the Assemblyman and some community members of Dondoli, a suburb of Wa Municipality, on Monday, October 6, 2025, the second suspect was arrested at Adabiya, a suburb of Wa. The suspect gave his name as Sherrif Abdulai, a cobbler. The suspect is an ex-convict aged 30yrs, who goes by aliases, Saani, Mohammed and Critos.
A search on him led to the retrieval of a Villaon keypad mobile phone and an X-Base solar-powered portable radio. Both items were later positively identified as property of the deceased, Mr. Issah Yahaya.
On interrogations, the suspect claimed that he had bought the phone from a galamsey site in Bole. A subsequent search conducted at the suspect’s hideout in an isolated metal container located in a bush around Airstrip area, led to the recovery of a sack containing meat, a cutlass with specially designed edges, a bicycle, and a pickaxehandle.
He commended all officers who worked tirelessly on the case and thanked the public for their cooperation and timely flow of information.
The Inspector-General of Police has also been praised for his strategic guidance and directives that led to the breakthrough.
The police have assured the public that they remain resolute in their commitment to ridding the society of criminal elements and ensuring justice for families affected by these crimes.
Anyone with further information on these and any other criminal activities is encouraged to contact the police for immediate action.
