A 30-year-old private school teacher, Nathaniel Baiyegun, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly kidnapping and killing a 16-year-old West African Senior School Certificate Examination candidate, identified simply as Florence.
The suspect was also accused of collecting a N500,000 ransom from the victim’s father after allegedly dumping the girl’s body in a river in Ogijo area of Ogun State.
Police sources said the victim was lured to the scene of her death under the guise of attending an academic coaching class organised by the suspect.
Investigators alleged that Baiyegun later confessed to spending most of the ransom money on online sports betting.
The incident has shocked residents of Ogijo and surrounding communities, especially because the suspect was said to have once taught at the girl’s former school.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, Baiyegun allegedly reconnected with Florence about one year after she left his former school. The suspect reportedly attempted to force the teenager into a relationship with one of his friends identified simply as Sola.
Police sources further disclosed that the suspect allegedly held the girl in an uncompleted building before administering an overdose of D5 sleeping tablets to her.
“The suspect claimed the death was accidental, but preliminary investigations revealed he was allegedly involved in internet fraud activities. Investigators also discovered that he once requested nude photographs from the deceased, which she reportedly sent to him through her mobile phone,” a source said.
The source added that after believing the teenager had died, the suspect allegedly dumped her body in a river around the MTN area in Ogijo.
In a confessional statement made available to investigators, Baiyegun claimed he had a close relationship with Florence but denied having any romantic involvement with her.
“I am a teacher at a private school in Ogijo, and she was one of the students in my former school. She was not one of my direct students because she was in the humanities while I teach science students. I teach Physics and Further Mathematics,” he reportedly stated.
He explained that the teenager often visited him at school and sometimes brought gifts for him.
“We became very close, but there was no amorous relationship between us. At times, she would go to my table in the staff room and drop gifts for me, even when I was not around,” he said.
The suspect claimed he later ended communication with the girl after she allegedly involved him in a dispute with the school principal.
According to him, Florence had once told the school principal that she visited him outside school to return his power bank after she was seen at a distant location.
He said the incident angered him and led him to delete her number from his phone.
Baiyegun stated that he did not hear from Florence again until April 7 this year when they met in the community while he was shooting content for his Instagram page.
“The last time I saw her before April 7 this year was last year after her WAEC. She was the one who saw me and called me,” he reportedly told investigators.
He added that Florence informed him that she failed Mathematics and English in her previous examination and planned to rewrite WASSCE.
The suspect said he then introduced her to his JAMB and WAEC coaching classes and encouraged her to join the programme.
Narrating how the alleged abduction occurred, Baiyegun said one of his friends, Sola, had repeatedly expressed interest in dating Florence.
According to him, on April 8, he invited the teenager to his new school while she was attending another coaching centre.
He claimed Sola waited behind the school premises to meet her.
“At about 5:30 p.m., she arrived and I introduced her to Sola before leaving them behind the school while I attended a class,” he reportedly said.
The suspect stated that when he returned about an hour later, only Florence remained there because Sola had already left.
He said the girl later informed him that Sola demanded sex from her but she refused because she was menstruating.
Baiyegun added that Florence later requested transport fare from him, but he had no money to give her.
He then allegedly proposed a fake kidnap plan aimed at extorting money from the girl’s family.
“I took her to an uncompleted building at the back of our school and used her phone to negotiate a ransom of N3 million from her father,” he reportedly confessed.
According to him, Florence later complained that she was unable to sleep comfortably in the abandoned building because she was afraid.
“She complained that she could not sleep well, so I gave her four dosages of D5 sleeping tablets,” he said.
The suspect disclosed that he travelled out briefly to attend a burial ceremony and returned on April 11.
“When I came back, I discovered that she was gasping for breath,” he reportedly stated.
He said he quickly stopped a commercial motorcycle rider and lied that the girl was ill and needed medical treatment.
However, instead of taking her to a hospital, he allegedly dumped her body in a river.
“I took her to a river in the MTN area and dumped her body there,” he confessed.
Baiyegun further admitted that after the victim’s death, he still continued negotiations with her father and eventually received N500,000 ransom payment.
“I lied to him that his daughter would be released immediately after payment. I spent almost all the money on online sports betting, and I regret it now,” he reportedly added.
The tragic incident has raised fresh concerns over the safety of students attending private coaching centres and the growing dangers posed by online betting addiction and internet fraud among young Nigerians.
Cases involving trusted teachers or school officials abusing their positions have also become a major concern for parents and education stakeholders across the country.
Reacting to the incident on Friday, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, CSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, commended the Anti-Kidnapping Unit for arresting the suspect and recovering incriminating exhibits linked to the crime.
He said the operation demonstrated the professionalism and dedication of police operatives in tackling violent crimes in the state.
Babaseyi also praised the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, for supporting intelligence-led policing and anti-kidnapping operations across the country.
The police spokesperson further commended the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, for providing leadership that has strengthened security operations in the state.
“The Ogun State Police Command assures residents that sustained efforts are being intensified to dismantle criminal syndicates operating within the state and its environs,” he said.
He also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to help combat kidnapping and other violent crimes.