A student preparing for another shot at important examinations is now at the centre of a tragedy that is raising difficult conversations about trust, mentorship and the safety of young people outside school walls.
In Ogun, police authorities say a 30-year-old private school teacher, Nathaniel Baiyegun, has been arrested over the alleged killing of a 16-year-old West African Senior School Certificate Examination candidate, Florence, said to be his former student.
According to police sources, the suspect allegedly lured the teenager under the pretext of attending an academic coaching class after reconnecting with her following her exit from his former school.
Investigators alleged that Baiyegun later demanded ransom from the teenager’s father after her death and reportedly spent the money on online sports betting.
A police source told Saturday PUNCH that the suspect allegedly attempted to pressure Florence into a relationship with a friend identified simply as Sola and kept her in an uncompleted building before administering D5 sleeping tablets.
The source further alleged that the suspect later dumped the teenager’s body in a river in Ogijo after believing she had died.
In a confessional statement reportedly obtained by journalists, Baiyegun claimed he had maintained a close relationship with Florence but denied any romantic involvement.
According to him, they reconnected after she reportedly told him she planned to retake the West African Senior School Certificate Examination after struggling with previous results.
“She failed Mathematics and English and wanted to write WASSCE again,” he reportedly stated, explaining that he introduced her to his coaching classes.
The suspect further claimed that events escalated after a meeting involving his friend, Sola, whom he said had expressed interest in dating the teenager.
According to the statement, the suspect admitted to taking Florence to an uncompleted building and negotiating ransom payments from her father, describing it as a staged kidnapping plan.
He alleged that after she complained about fear and difficulty sleeping, he gave her D5 sleeping tablets and later discovered her gasping for breath.
Police said the suspect later disposed of the body in a river and continued ransom negotiations with the victim’s father.
In his statement, Baiyegun claimed the father eventually transferred N500,000 after an earlier demand of N3 million and admitted to spending most of the money on online betting.
The incident has sparked renewed concerns about the vulnerability of students seeking extra lessons, coaching camps and academic support outside formal school environments — spaces many students rely on while preparing for examinations such as WASSCE and UTME.
While investigations continue, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Oluseyi Babaseyi, urged residents to remain mindful of the company they keep and continue supporting security agencies with timely information.
Credit: ThePunch
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