A 30-year-old teacher and choir master, Nathaniel Baiyegun, has been arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Section of the Ogun State Police Command over the death of a 16-year-old former student in Ogijo area of the state.
The deceased teenager, who completed her secondary education last year at a private school where Baiyegun taught Physics and Further Mathematics, reportedly died after an alleged fake kidnap plot spiralled into tragedy.
According to police sources, the girl had failed English Language and Mathematics in her West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examination and was preparing to rewrite the papers this year.
Baiyegun allegedly invited her to attend his JAMB and WAEC coaching class on April 8, 2026. However, she never returned home after leaving for the lesson.
Her family later received a telephone call from an unknown person claiming that the teenager had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom of N3 million for her release.
After negotiations, the family reportedly paid N500,000, hoping she would regain freedom. Days later, however, her remains were discovered in a river in Ogijo.
The arrest of Baiyegun followed weeks of investigation by the Ogun State Police Command.
Preliminary findings by investigators allegedly revealed that the suspect was involved in internet fraud activities and had at one point requested nude photographs from the deceased, which she reportedly sent to him through her mobile phone.
Police sources further alleged that Baiyegun attempted to force the teenager into a relationship with his friend, identified simply as Sola, before she was later held hostage in an uncompleted building.
Speaking during interrogation, the suspect admitted involvement in the fake kidnap arrangement but claimed the girl’s death was accidental.
“She was one of the students in my former school. We were very close, but there was no amorous relationship between us,” Baiyegun reportedly told investigators.
According to him, he reconnected with the teenager after meeting her while shooting content for his Instagram page and later invited her to his coaching class after she expressed interest in rewriting her WAEC examination.
The suspect alleged that his friend, Sola, had repeatedly expressed interest in dating the girl.
He claimed that on April 8, he invited her to meet the friend behind the school premises, but the meeting failed after the man allegedly demanded sex from her.
Baiyegun said the teenager later requested transport fare to return home, but because he had no money, they allegedly agreed to stage a fake kidnap in order to extort money from her wealthy uncle.
According to his account, he took the girl to an uncompleted building near the school and used her phone to contact her father, demanding ransom.
He further claimed that after the teenager complained of difficulty sleeping at the abandoned building, he gave her sleeping tablets.
“I discovered she was gasping for breath,” he said, adding that he later transported her body on a motorcycle and dumped it in a river after realising she was dead.
The suspect also admitted receiving the N500,000 ransom from the victim’s father even after the girl had died.
“Yes, her father sent N500,000 to me, but I didn’t tell him that his daughter was dead. I lied that she would be released after payment,” he reportedly confessed.
Baiyegun further stated that he spent most of the ransom money on online sports betting.
Reacting to the development, spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, commended operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit for the arrest.
“The successful operation leading to the arrest of the suspect and recovery of incriminating exhibits underscores the bravery, professionalism and dedication of the operatives,” Babaseyi said.
He assured residents that the command remained committed to dismantling criminal networks across the state and urged members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information.
