UNILAG Student Drowns During Backflip Stunt at Eleko Beach

A University of Lagos (UNILAG) student, Damilola Balogun, has tragically died after drowning during a backflip stunt at Eleko Beach, Lagos.

The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday, September 18, 2025, though some accounts suggest it may have happened a day later. Damilola, a Faculty of Education undergraduate, had asked a friend to record him performing the stunt when a strong wave swept him away. Rescue efforts were immediately launched, but he could not be saved.

Damilola’s body was recovered on Saturday morning at Museyo Beach, Ibeju-Lekki, about two kilometres from the site of the accident, according to Dr. Farouk, who first shared the news on social media.

The news has left the UNILAG community in mourning. Friends and fellow students have taken to social media to pay tribute. One colleague, Doyin Doski, remembered Damilola as vibrant and full of life, noting that he had recently been elected President of his faculty after serving as Vice President.

In a statement, UNILAG’s Director of Communications, Mrs. Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, confirmed the death and said Vice Chancellor Prof. Folasade Ogunsola has extended condolences to the family. “The Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of the entire University community, commiserates with his family and prays that God grants them the strength to bear this irreplaceable loss,” she said.