Dare Babalola
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested Shamsideen Adio, a top official of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), who had beaten a dispatch rider to a pulp.
The incident happened on Tapa Street, Lagos Island area of the state, a post by Chris Nwandu, a journalist and Facebook user confirmed.
According to the post, a scuffle had ensued between Adio and the dispatch rider over allegations that the latter had scratched the former’s vehicle.
Nwandu said the situation degenerated when Adio, joined by his colleagues, descended on the dispatch rider and allegedly beat him to a pulp.
In the video, Adio was seen punching the poor rider repeatedly alongside his friend, while a crowd of onlookers watched without intervening. At one point, Adio and his friends wrestled the rider to the ground, removing everything from his pockets and attempting to strip him naked.
He wrote, “A popular Lagos Island NURTW top official by the name Shamsideen Adio mercilessly beat a dispatch rider to a pulp on Wednesday in Tapa Street, Lagos Island, for obstructing his way while driving on the road.
“He was joined by his other friends and colleagues, battering the poor guy as they liked. We are reliably informed that he’s notorious for beating Marwa (tricycle) operators to a pulp whenever they offend him.
“It was reported that a few days ago, he also dealt deadly blows to a Marwa operator who ended up in the general hospital.”
Although several unconfirmed reports suggest that the dispatch rider had died from injuries inflicted on him, police spokesperson Abimbola Adebisi said she had yet to confirm it.
She said, “I have been receiving calls saying that the guy is dead, but at the moment, I am trying to make some calls to confirm if the information is true or not.
“As of yesterday, the guy was still alive. Let me confirm, and I will get back to you. We are also working on releasing a statement on the matter. The man has been arrested and is in custody. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for thorough investigation and prosecution.”
