The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a top member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Shamsideen Adio, popularly known as Shameleon, over allegations of assault and murder.
Adio, 55, is currently being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti-Yaba, where police say investigations into the two incidents are ongoing.
According to a statement by the Command’s Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, Adio allegedly attacked a dispatch rider on Lagos Island, beating him with a helmet and his fists. The victim, who sustained serious injuries, was rushed to the hospital and is said to be on oxygen.
The Police further revealed that the NURTW leader was also linked to a separate violent altercation on August 28. In that incident, Adio reportedly used a metallic ring to repeatedly strike a man on the head and face. Despite medical treatment, the victim later died on September 17. His body has since been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.
News of the man’s death sparked protests at Adio’s office in Sandgrouse Market, Lagos Island, where angry sympathisers of the deceased set two of his motorcycles ablaze, escalating tension in the area.
The Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, personally led a team of mobile policemen, tactical squads, and conventional officers to restore calm.
He assured residents that Adio remains in custody and will face prosecution once investigations are concluded.
“We urge Lagosians to remain calm and law-abiding. Justice will be served,” Jimoh said.
The arrest of Adio, a popular figure in Lagos Island’s transport union circles, has reignited conversations around violence, lawlessness, and the culture of impunity sometimes associated with transport unions in the state.
