The University of Lagos student, Damilola Balogun, who drowned during a celebratory trip to a beach in Lagos on Thursday, was to start his final teaching practice on Monday, September 29, 2025, a colleague has disclosed.
Recall that Balogun was swept away by a powerful wave while enjoying himself on a beach in Ibeju-Lekki around 2 pm on Thursday.
He was a 400-level student of the Department of Education. The deceased had just been elected as the president of the Nigerian Universities Education Students Association, UNILAG chapter.
The idea of visiting the beach was part of the celebration of the successful handover of power from the old executive of the association to the new one headed by Balogun.
Punch reported that the deceased went to the beach in the Idado community with both outgoing and new executive members.
Balogun was the immediate Vice President of the association, who was voted president by his colleagues.
They were said to have been there since Wednesday evening, but the deceased and the outgoing General Secretary stayed behind till Thursday.
Damilola Balogun allegedly rebuffed warnings about strong currents
An eyewitness who was close to the deceased told The Punch that Balogun brushed aside the warning given to him about the rising ocean current.
The witness stated that the deceased had played football for a while before heading back to the shoreline around 2 pm.
The source, who did not want to be identified, said Balogun asked the General Secretary to take pictures and videos of him.
The General Secretary reportedly was not comfortable with his presence in the water, especially since the waves were very strong.
He reportedly told Balogun to come out of the water, but the deceased allegedly waved it off, saying that he wanted to enjoy the village life a little longer.
The General Secretary reportedly took the pictures as requested and left the shoreline, as he was not comfortable with the waves.
He had not gone too far when he noticed locals rushing towards the shoreline and shouting that Damilola Balogun had been swept off by the waves.
The locals reportedly claimed they heard him waving his hands and shouting for help in the water.
Expert divers among the villagers reportedly tried to rescue him, but they failed as the strong currents pulled the deceased underwater.
Balogun’s body was discovered two days later at the Museyo community, opposite where he drowned.
The Baale (local head) of the community sent a message to UNILAG on Saturday that a body had been found at the shoreline.
Balogun’s mates rushed there to see if he was the one. They found out to their sorrow that he was indeed the one.
The late new NUESA, UNILAG Chapter president was retrieved from the water and buried that same evening in Museyo shoreline.
