A final-year student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Damilola Balogun, has died after being swept away by ocean currents at a beach in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.

Balogun, a 400-level Education student and president-elect of the Nigerian Universities Education Students Association (NUESA), UNILAG chapter, reportedly drowned on Thursday, September 18, 2025. He was expected to begin his teaching practice the following Monday.

Contrary to online claims that he drowned while attempting a backflip, eyewitnesses revealed that he was swept away after venturing too close to the ocean despite warnings.

According to sources, Balogun had joined other executive members for a handover get-together at the beach in the Idado community. After a football game, he asked the General Secretary to take pictures and videos of him by the shoreline. Despite warnings about the strong ocean current, he insisted on staying. Moments later, locals raised the alarm as he struggled in the water. Attempts by local divers to save him were unsuccessful.

His body was recovered two days later, on Saturday, September 20, at Museyo community, opposite the spot where he drowned, and was buried that same evening.

The Lagos State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), in a statement signed by Chairman Abdul-Raheem Abdul-Quadri and spokesperson Ridwan Ajayi, described Balogun as a “beacon of hope” and a passionate advocate for students’ welfare.

“He was a brave, strong, and dogged comrade, a shining light in the Lagos State student movement. He embodied resilience, dedication, and a genuine passion for service,” the statement read.

Balogun’s death has thrown the UNILAG community and the student movement in Lagos into mourning, with many describing him as a leader with a bright future cut short by tragedy.