‘I Spent the Ransom on Sports Betting’ — Ogun Teacher Arrested Over Death of Former Student

Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 30-year-old teacher and church choir master, Nathaniel Baiyegun, over the death of a 16-year-old former student whose body was allegedly dumped in a river after a failed fake kidnap plot.

The deceased teenager, who was preparing to rewrite her West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examination after reportedly failing some subjects, allegedly died after being administered sleeping tablets by the suspect.

According to police sources, Baiyegun — a Physics and Further Mathematics teacher at a private school in Ogijo and choir master at a Pentecostal church — allegedly masterminded a fake kidnap involving the victim in a bid to extort money from her family.

Investigators alleged that despite knowing the teenager had died, the suspect proceeded to collect a N500,000 ransom payment from her father and later admitted spending nearly all the money on online sports betting.

Police investigations also reportedly linked Baiyegun to internet fraud activities and revealed that he had allegedly requested nude photographs from the deceased in the past.

Speaking to journalists after his arrest, the suspect claimed there had been no romantic relationship between him and the victim, despite admitting they were close.

“We became very close but there was no amorous relationship between us,” he said, adding that they reconnected in April after not seeing each other for nearly a year.

According to Baiyegun, he introduced the teenager to his friend, identified simply as Sola, who had allegedly expressed interest in dating her.

He claimed the meeting took place on April 8 behind his school premises but said things changed afterward.

“When my friend left, she asked me for transport fare and I told her I had no money. That was when we planned a fake kidnap. The intention was to collect money from her family,” he alleged.

The suspect said he later kept the teenager in an uncompleted building after deciding he could not hide her inside the school.

He further admitted using the victim’s phone to negotiate a N3 million ransom with her family.

Baiyegun alleged that after the teenager complained about fear and inability to sleep while staying in the abandoned structure, he gave her four doses of D5 sleeping tablets.

He said he left afterward to attend a burial ceremony and returned days later only to find her gasping for breath.

“When I came back, I discovered that she was gasping for breath. I took her on a motorcycle and dumped her body in a river in the MTN area,” he confessed.

He also admitted deceiving the victim’s father after receiving the ransom.

“After everything, the father agreed to pay N500,000. I did not tell him his daughter was already dead. I spent almost all the money on online sports betting and I regret it now,” he said.

Reacting to the arrest, spokesperson of the Ogun State Police Command, CSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, commended operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit for the operation that led to the suspect’s arrest and recovery of incriminating evidence.

Babaseyi also praised the leadership of the Inspector General of Police, , and the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, , for strengthening intelligence-led policing.

He assured residents that security agencies remain committed to dismantling criminal networks and urged members of the public to continue providing credible information to aid law enforcement efforts.