OGUN, NIGERIA — A harrowing tale of betrayal, greed, and tragedy has shaken the Ogijo community in Ogun State following the arrest of a 30-year-old private school teacher, Nathaniel Baiyegun.
ValidViewNetwork reports that the suspect allegedly orchestrated the kidnapping and subsequent death of his 16-year-old former student, Florence, before squandering her ransom money on online sports betting.
Florence, a West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) candidate, was reportedly lured to her death under the pretense of attending remedial academic coaching classes.
A Deadly Reconnection
According to preliminary investigations by the Ogun State Police Command, Baiyegun, a Physics and Further Mathematics teacher, reconnected with Florence on April 7, 2026, a year after she left his previous employment. Upon learning that she had failed Mathematics and English in her previous O-Level exams and was preparing to resit the WASSCE, Baiyegun capitalised on her vulnerability by inviting her to a coaching camp he operated.
However, police sources reveal a darker undertone to the relationship. Investigators uncovered evidence linking Baiyegun to internet fraud, noting that he had previously solicited explicit photographs from the minor.
The situation escalated on April 8, when Baiyegun summoned Florence to his new school premises. The teacher allegedly attempted to pressure the teenager into a romantic relationship with his friend, identified simply as Sola. When Florence rejected Sola’s advances, citing her menstrual cycle, the plot shifted from exploitation to extortion.
The Fake Kidnapping Plot
In a chilling confessional statement obtained during interrogation, Baiyegun claimed that he and the victim initially agreed to stage a fake kidnapping to extort money from her 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,” Baiyegun stated.
The narrative took a fatal turn when Florence complained of fear and insomnia inside the abandoned structure. To quiet her, Baiyegun stated that he administered a lethal overdose of four D5 sleeping tablets before abandoning her to attend a social function—a pastor’s father’s burial.
Upon his return on the night of April 11, Baiyegun found the teenager gasping for breath.
Rather than seeking emergency medical intervention, the teacher intercepted a commercial motorcycle, lied to the cyclist that the unconscious girl was ill and being taken to an aunt for treatment, and dumped her body into a river in the MTN area of Ogijo.
Ransom Spent on Sports Betting
Demonstrating a profound lack of remorse, Baiyegun continued to negotiate with the victim’s distraught family while knowing she was already dead, ValidViewNetwork reports. He successfully extorted N500,000 from her father, promising her immediate release upon receipt of the funds.
Police Reaction
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Oluseyi Babaseyi, praised the swift and tactical response of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit. Operatives successfully tracked down the suspect and recovered incriminating exhibits linking him to the crime.
”The successful operation underscores the bravery, professionalism, and unwavering dedication of our operatives,” Babaseyi said, while also commending Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajini for his commitment to intelligence-led policing.
The police command has urged parents and guardians to remain highly vigilant regarding the companies their children keep and the mentors they trust.
Baiyegun remains in custody and will face prosecution upon the conclusion of formal investigations, ValidViewNetwork reports.
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