A 400-level student of the University of Lagos, Damilola Balogun, has drowned in the ocean at a beach in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State. Balogun, who was the president-elect of the Nigerian Universities Education Students Association, UNILAG chapter, was supposed to begin his teaching practice on Monday.
He was swept away by strong ocean currents despite warnings from his colleagues.
According to a close source who witnessed the incident, Balogun had gone to the beach in the Idado community with other executive members for a handover get-together.
The group had spent the night at Akodo in Idado and were spending the day together on Thursday.
The source said,
“What happened was that the current president-elect and other members went for a get-together with the immediate past executive members.” Balogun had served as vice president in the outgoing administration, so he joined them for the handover party.
The source explained that by Thursday afternoon, only Balogun, the general secretary, and the outgoing vice president were still around.
Around 2pm, after playing football, Balogun went towards the shoreline and asked the General Secretary to take pictures and videos of him.
The General Secretary warned him that the ocean current was too strong, but Balogun insisted he wanted to ‘enjoy the village life’ a little longer.
“At some point, the General Secretary left him at the shoreline because he could no longer withstand the waves. He only noticed from afar when locals began shouting that the president-elect was waving for help inside the water.”
Attempts by local divers to rescue him failed as strong currents pulled him under. His body was eventually discovered two days later at the Museyo community, opposite the spot where he drowned.
“The incident happened on Thursday. By Saturday morning, the Baale of the community alerted us that a body had been found at the shoreline. We confirmed it was him. He was buried that same evening in Museyo,” the source said.
The National Association of Nigerian Students, Joint Campus Council, Lagos State chapter, described Balogun as “a beacon of hope, an embodiment of courage, and a steadfast advocate for the rights and welfare of students.”
In a statement, the association said, “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. He was a happy soul, a star with dreams as bright as dawn, and a leader committed to advancing the welfare and aspirations of Nigerian students.”
When contacted, UNILAG spokesperson Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem declined to speak over the telephone, instead requesting that a text message be sent. However, as of press time, she had yet to respond to the message sent by our correspondent.
This incident is reminiscent of a similar tragedy that occurred in 2022, when four teenagers drowned at Elegushi Beach, Lekki, after going swimming to celebrate the completion of their West African Senior School Certificate Examination. The victims were among 10 secondary school leavers, aged between 14 and 15, who had gone to the beach for the outing when the incident occurred.
