The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) over allegations of assault and murder.
The police said the suspect — identified as Shamsideen Adio (popularly known as Shameleon) — is being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti-Yaba, where discreet investigations into the two cases are ongoing.
According to a statement on Friday, the command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent Babaseyi Oluseyi said that complaint was lodged against the 55-year-old suspect over an incident on 28 August 2025.
He noted that during an altercation, Shameleon allegedly used a metallic ring to repeatedly strike another man on the head and face, leaving him with severe injuries.
Oluseyi said that, despite medical care, the victim died on 17 September 2025, and his remains had since been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.
The Police alleged that, on Thursday, Shameleon attacked a dispatch rider on Lagos Island, using a helmet and fists to inflict serious injuries.
The victim, who was rushed to the hospital, is said to be on oxygen and still receiving treatment.
The statement read: ‘The Lagos State Police Command has arrested one Samsideen Oladiti ‘m’, popularly known as Shameleon, aged 55, in connection with two violent crimes on Lagos Island involving a case of murder and another of assault occasioning harm’.
‘The suspect is currently in the custody of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti-Yaba, for discreet investigation’.
It was gathered that the news of the man’s death, in the first case, triggered protests at the suspect’s office in Sandgrouse Market, Lagos Island, where sympathisers set two of Shameleon’s motorcycles ablaze, heightening tension in the area.
The Police further said that, worried by the situation, the state Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh led mobile policemen, tactical squads, and conventional officers to the scene to restore normalcy.
The commissioner assured residents that the suspect remains in custody and would be prosecuted once investigations are concluded.
He also appealed to Lagos residents to remain calm and law-abiding, stressing that the command is committed to ensuring justice.
