The Upper West Regional Police Command says it has arrested two men believed to be behind a string of killings that have haunted Wa and its outskirts since 2021, most of them involving night watchmen attacked while on duty.
Police said the arrests follow months of piecing together patterns across about 15 cases recorded between 2021 and 2022, and a recent killing on September 21, 2025. In that latest case, 55-year-old watchman Yahaya Issah was found dead at a motor mechanic shop at Dobile near Wa New Market. A post-mortem indicated “severe head injury due to blunt force head trauma.”
After a review of the cases, the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, dispatched a team of intelligence officers and investigators from National Headquarters to support the regional command. The team arrested Mahamuda Lamin on October 3, 2025, and, acting on fresh leads, picked up a second suspect on October 6 at Adabiya, a suburb of Wa. Police identified him as Sherif Abdulai, 30, an ex-convict who also uses the names Saani, Mohammed and Critos.
According to investigators, a search on Abdulai recovered a Villon keypad mobile phone and an X-Base solar radio later identified as belonging to the slain watchman. A follow-up search at a hideout — an isolated metal container around the Airstrip area — turned up a sack containing meat, a specially edged cutlass, a bicycle and a pickaxe handle. The cutlass and bicycle were also identified as the deceased’s property. All items have been secured for forensic analysis.
Police say one suspect admitted during interrogation to killing 15 people in Wa since 2021, often targeting watchmen and, in some instances, mentally challenged persons. He also allegedly confessed to killings at Banda Nkwanta and Bamboi in the Savannah Region, saying he carried victims into bushes to avoid detection.
Both suspects are in custody assisting with investigations. Lamin has appeared before the Wa Magistrate Court and was remanded to reappear on October 21, 2025. The command is appealing to the public for more information that could help close the case.
For families who have waited years for answers — and for guards who work long, lonely nights — the arrests bring cautious relief. Police leadership has thanked officers and community members for timely tips and cooperation, and assured residents that efforts will continue until all those responsible are brought to justice.
By: Adil Fuseini
