A Teacher’s Alleged Crime: The Tragic Death of a Student
A 30-year-old private school teacher, Nathaniel Baiyegun, has been arrested for allegedly killing a 16-year-old West African Senior School Certificate Examination candidate named Florence. According to reports, she was his former student.
The Incident and the Suspect’s Actions
According to a police source, Baiyegun lured the teenager to the scene of her death under the pretense of attending an academic coaching class. The suspect is alleged to have demanded a ransom of N500,000 from the girl’s father after her death, which he later confessed to spending on online sports betting.
The police source revealed that Baiyegun reconnected with the teenager about a year after she left his former school and attempted to force her into a relationship with his friend, identified as Sola. He allegedly kidnapped and kept her in an uncompleted building before administering an overdose of D5 sleeping tablets.
Baiyegun claimed the killing was accidental, but preliminary investigations showed he was involved in internet fraud and had previously requested nude photographs from the deceased, which she reportedly sent through her mobile phone.
After believing Florence had died, Baiyegun dumped her body in a river in Ogijo.
Confessional Statement from the Suspect
In a confessional statement obtained by a correspondent, Baiyegun explained that he was close to Florence but had no romantic relationship with her. He stated that he was a teacher at a private school in Ogijo and that she was one of the students in his former school. However, she was not one of his direct students, as she was in the humanities while he taught science subjects.
They became very close, but there was no amorous relationship between them. At times, she would drop gifts for him in the staff room even when he wasn’t around. This continued until he deleted her number and told her not to call him again.
Florence had lied to their principal about returning his power bank, which he had given her. When she called to ask for help lying to the principal, he was upset and severed their relationship.
Baiyegun said he did not hear from her again after she left the former school and changed to a new one.
Reconnecting and the Events Leading to the Abduction
The suspect reconnected with Florence on April 7 this year while shooting content for his Instagram page in the community. He mentioned that the last time he saw her before April 7 was the previous year, after her WAEC exams.
She had seen him and called him, asking if she was writing UTME. She told him she didn’t do well in her O-Level results and wanted to retake WASSCE.
They exchanged contacts again, and he introduced her to his JAMB and WAEC coaching classes, advising her to attend the camp.
According to Baiyegun, one of his friends, Sola, had repeatedly expressed interest in dating Florence. On April 8, he called the victim to come to his new school while she was at her coaching center, with Sola waiting behind the school premises.
At about 5:30 p.m., Florence arrived, and he introduced her to Sola before leaving them behind the school while he attended a class. When he returned around 6:30 p.m., he met only the girl behind the school, as Sola had already left.
He asked the victim what happened between her and Sola, and she told him that Sola demanded sex, which she declined, claiming she was on her menstrual period. She then asked for transport fare, but he told her he had no money.
They planned a fake kidnapping together with the intention of extorting money from her family. Baiyegun took her to an uncompleted building at the back of their school and used her phone to negotiate a ransom of N3m from her father.
Florence complained about not sleeping well the first day she slept in the building. After she said she was scared and couldn’t sleep, he gave her four dosages of D5 sleeping tablets and left her there.
He was not around the next day because he attended a burial. When he returned on the night of April 11, he found her gasping for breath. He quickly stopped a bike and took her to a river in the MTN area, where he dumped her body. He lied to the bike rider that she was sick and needed treatment, but he actually dumped her body in the river.
Baiyegun admitted that the father agreed to pay the ransom and sent him N500,000, but he did not inform him that his daughter was already dead. He lied that his daughter would be released once the ransom was paid and spent almost all the money on online sports betting.
Police Response and Community Appeal
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Oluseyi Babaseyi, urged residents to be mindful of the company they keep. He praised the Anti-Kidnapping Unit for its successful operation leading to the arrest of the suspect and recovery of incriminating evidence.
The Ogun State Police Command commended Olatunji Disu for his support towards tactical policing and intelligence-led operations, as well as the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes. They also appreciated the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, for the remarkable security successes within the state.
The command assured residents that sustained efforts are being intensified to dismantle criminal syndicates and urged the public to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information.
