A 30-year-old private school teacher, Nathaniel Baiyegun, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command over the alleged killing of a 16-year-old West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) candidate, Florence, a former student.
According to police sources, the suspect allegedly lured the teenager to an isolated location under the pretence of academic coaching before carrying out the attack. Investigators also allege that he later demanded a ransom from the victim’s father after the incident, which he reportedly spent on online betting activities.
The suspect is said to have reconnected with the girl months after she left his former school and allegedly influenced her return to academic coaching sessions. Police reports further suggest that he involved a friend in plans connected to the victim before the situation escalated into abduction and extortion.
In a confessional statement, Baiyegun admitted to knowing the victim as a former student but claimed there was no romantic relationship between them. He described how they reconnected and how he later introduced her to a friend who had expressed interest in her.
He also stated that a plan initially described as a fake kidnapping for financial gain eventually went wrong. According to his account, the victim was taken to an unfinished building where a ransom demand was made to her family.
Baiyegun further admitted that he administered sleeping tablets to the teenager after she expressed fear and difficulty sleeping in the location where she was being held. He claimed that he later found her in a critical condition and attempted to move her before abandoning her body in a river.
He also confessed to receiving part of the ransom payment from the victim’s father and acknowledged spending the money on gambling activities.
The Ogun State Police Command confirmed the arrest and said the suspect is being investigated for kidnapping, murder, and related offences. Authorities also praised the operation that led to his arrest and reaffirmed ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks in the state.
The police urged members of the public to be cautious about relationships and interactions, while encouraging continued cooperation with security agencies through timely information sharing.
