The Lagos State Police Command has announced its intention to bring charges against Shamsideen Adio, a leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) known as “Shameleon,” on Friday, following the alleged murder of a dispatch rider in Lagos Island.
The Legal Observer has learned that Adio, 55, was arrested after he reportedly attacked the victim during a confrontation on Tapa Street, Lagos Island, on September 17, 2025. Eyewitnesses claim the altercation began when the rider allegedly blocked Adio’s vehicle.
This incident reportedly escalated, with Adio, aided by friends and colleagues, assaulting the rider mercilessly, which incited widespread outrage. A video captured the moment Adio was seen repeatedly punching the rider, while a crowd of onlookers failed to intervene.
Eyewitnesses stated that the rider was struck with a helmet and fists until he collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries shortly afterward.
Confirming the situation, Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Bababseyi Oluseyi stated that Adio is currently detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Panti-Yaba and will be arraigned on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State House of Assembly has intervened, calling for the prosecution of Adio and his accomplices. The Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, Adewale Adedeji, condemned the incident, labeling it as “an act that must be condemned by every well-meaning Nigerian.”
“As the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, I assert that Shamsideen’s actions are barbaric, shameful, inhuman, and heartbreaking; he must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Adedeji stated.
He further urged the leadership of the NURTW in Lagos State, led by Alhaji Adekunle Mustapha Seigo, to suspend Adio and dissociate the union from such “lawless behavior” while investigations proceed.
“The NURTW should be a professional union and does not deserve members who act lawlessly or fail to recognize the humanity of others,” he emphasized.
