The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed plans to arraign Shamsideen Adio, a prominent Lagos Island leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) popularly known as “Shameleon,” over the alleged killing of a dispatch rider.
Adio, 55, was arrested following a violent altercation that occurred on September 17, 2025, along Tapa Street, Lagos Island. Eyewitnesses reported that the confrontation began when the victim allegedly blocked Adio’s vehicle. The disagreement quickly escalated into a physical attack, with Adio allegedly joined by associates who brutally assaulted the rider.
Video footage obtained by SaharaReporters shows Adio repeatedly punching the rider, while onlookers failed to intervene. Witnesses said the victim was struck multiple times with a helmet and fists until he collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital but later died from his injuries.
Confirming the development, Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Bababseyi Oluseyi said Adio is currently in custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti-Yaba, and will be brought before the court on Friday.
The Lagos State House of Assembly has also intervened in the matter. Adewale Adedeji, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, condemned the incident, describing it as “barbaric, shameful, inhuman, and heartbreaking.” He called for Adio’s prosecution “to a logical conclusion” and urged the NURTW leadership to suspend him and distance the union from such violent behavior.
“The NURTW should remain a professional body. Members who act lawlessly and disregard human dignity have no place in the union,” Adedeji stated.
The case has sparked public outrage, with many Lagosians demanding swift justice for the slain rider.
