Sefwi Bekwai STEM SHS: Police arrest Matron, Cook over alleged theft of students’ food

Two (2) staff members of the Sefwi Bekwai STEM Senior High School in the Western North Region have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the theft of large quantities of food items meant for students of the school.

The Western North Regional Police Command confirmed that the suspects, identified as Bennedicta Nyamadi, a matron, and Rahel Kyeremateng, a cook, were arrested on Monday, 23 December 2025, following intelligence received the previous night.

According to the police, the information was first relayed to the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipal Chief Executive on the night of Sunday, 22 December, raising suspicions about the possible diversion of food supplies from the school’s stores.

Acting swiftly, a joint team made up of police officers, the Member of Parliament for the area, and the Municipal Chief Executive proceeded to the residence of one of the suspects, Rahel Kyeremateng, at Sefwi Atronsu. A search conducted at the premises led to the discovery of what the police described as “large quantities of food items suspected to have been stolen from the school”.

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Preliminary investigations suggest that the suspects allegedly conspired to steal the items from the school’s food store and kept them at Kyeremateng’s residence with the intention of selling them at a later date.

Police said the items retrieved included twenty-one (21) 50 kg bags of rice, four (4) sacks of gari, two (2) sacks of maize, one and a half (1½) bags of millet, one (1) bag of sugar, three (3) bags of beans, forty (40) large tins of tomato paste, four (4) cartons of milk, six (6) gallons of cooking oil, and fifty-four (54) tins of canned mackerel.

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During interrogation, suspect Rahel Kyeremateng reportedly identified Bennedicta Nyamadi as the source of the items, leading to Nyamadi’s arrest at the school premises.

Meanwhile, the police say efforts are ongoing to locate and arrest an assistant matron, identified as Hannah Dufie, who is believed to have also played a role in the alleged theft but is currently at large.

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The suspects are currently in police custody assisting with investigations, while the police have assured the public that further updates will be provided as the case progresses.