According to a report by The Vanguard on Saturday, May 23, 2026, a 30-year-old private school teacher and church choir master, Nathaniel Baiyegun, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for the kidnap and tragic death of his 16-year-old former student in Ogijo.…....
The suspect reportedly used the ransom money collected from the victim’s family to fund online sports betting.
The teenager, who was preparing to rewrite her WAEC examinations, vanished on April 8, 2026, after Baiyegun invited her to a coaching class. Following her disappearance, her family received a phone call from a kidnapper demanding a N3 million ransom.
After negotiations, the family paid N500,000, but the girl never returned. Her body was later discovered in a local river.
During police interrogation, Baiyegun claimed the killing was accidental. He alleged that after a failed setup involving his friend, the girl agreed to a fake kidnapping plot to extract money from her wealthy uncle.
He then hid her in an uncompleted building. To help her sleep, Baiyegun administered an overdose of four D5 sleeping tablets.
When he returned days later after attending a burial, he found her gasping for breath. Instead of seeking medical help, he transported her body via a commercial motorcycle and dumped her in a river, lying to the cyclist that she was sick.
Despite knowing she was dead, he still collected the N500,000 ransom from her father and squandered it on sports betting.
Ogun State Police Command spokesman, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the arrest by the Anti-Kidnapping Section. He assured the public that justice would be served while urging parents to remain vigilant regarding their children’s associates.
