The arrest of two notorious suspected killers — Sherif Abdulai, an ex-convict aged 30, and Mahamuda Lamin, aged 25 — linked to the 2021 to 2025 serial killings in Bole and Wa by the Upper West Regional Police Command of the Ghana Police Service on the 3rd and 6th of October, 2025 renews calls for vigilance, advanced policing mechanisms, and thorough investigation and medical examination of suspects who are claimed to be mentally challenged.
As a concerned citizen who started the advocacy for justice for the dead in my previously published article (see first two comments), this crackdown by our men in uniform comes as good news.
However, the hasty release of suspects by our security services and the lack of interest by community leaders in pursuing certain criminal cases often misconstrued as “sensitive” need to be addressed. Enough of the “he is mad; let him go.”
One of the accused, Sherif Abdulai, was considered a madman and a shoemaker nicknamed “Abodam,” who “repairs soles,” yet was least suspected to be taking souls in Bole.
The calls of some opinion leaders, such as the sub-chief of the Bole Traditional Area, Daboriwura Dramani, and a family member of one of the victims and former Assemblyman of Mempeasem electoral area (the abattoir of these atrocities), Hon. Mohammed Shiraz-deen, against the release and calls for his subsequent re-arrest fell on deaf ears only for him (presumably) to attack another watchman and take away his head and genitals less than 500 meters from the Bole Police Station among other victims.
This is not the time to revisit past incidents, but it is the perfect time to rethink, restructure, and take a cautious stand on all security-related issues in our communities until proven otherwise.
If the Bole Police Command had gone the extra mile to assess the true mental capacity of Sherif Abdulai during his first arrest and had undertaken a thorough background check, the life of his recent victim, Mr. Issah Yahaya, who was killed at Wa-Dobile on September 21, 2025, could have been saved.
I want to believe that our security apparatus will take a clue from this incident and ensure that similar occurrences in the future are given a second look.
As I, along with other interested parties, continue to follow the arrest of these two and the possible apprehension and prosecution of all accomplices (I’m tempted to believe that there are bigger sharks behind these boys) to ensure that they face the full rigors of the law, I hope the dead will be appeased.
I implore the families of all the victims to pay attention to this case as a show of love for their deceased loved ones and to ensure that this case doesn’t become one of the many similar stories swept under the carpet.
I, therefore, recommend that taking lessons from this case, there is the need for mental health professionals to work closely with the police at the district levels to national and not only in high profile cases. Too often, suspects are branded as “mad” without medical evidence. This dangerous label becomes a shield for criminals and a death sentence for future victims. The absence of psychiatric assessments and social welfare interventions in such cases reveals a deep gap in Ghana’s criminal justice and health systems.
Also, the Ghana Police Service should enhance its intelligence capacity through training, surveillance, and technology. Officers who negligently release suspects without proper investigation must face disciplinary action to restore public confidence.
Again, a renew intelligence gathering and coordination between police and community watch structures has proven to be an effective way to fight crime. These structures should report suspicious behavior early and keep local databases on known offenders to avert similar future incidents.
While doing the above, continuous public education such as the anti-terrorism campaign “see something, say something” should challenge the “he is mad, let him go” narrative and emphasize that mental illness is not synonymous with violence. This cultural shift is key to reducing stigma and promoting justice.
Author:
Issah Zakariah Jnr(Journalist)
