NURTW Members In Lagos Should Not Be Above The Law

The recent viral video of Shamsideen Adio, popularly known as Shamelon, a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), assaulting a dispatch rider is deeply disturbing, unacceptable, and a direct affront to public order. Such acts of violence have no place in a society governed by law. Sadly, this is not new. Even Lagos political actors are well aware of Shamelon’s role as one of the Coordinators of Team Lagos during the 2023 general elections, the thuggery arm of the All Progressives Congress (APC) used to intimidate voters across the state.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. Over the years, several high-ranking figures within the Lagos chapter of the NURTW have been repeatedly linked to acts of intimidation, polling unit disruption, ballot snatching, and other forms of electoral violence. These incidents involve not only foot soldiers like Shamelon but also top leaders of the union, including its current Lagos State chairman, Mustapha Adekunle Sego. Sego, while attempting to distance himself from his long-time ally Shamelon, now in police custody for assault and implicated in a killing, cannot deny his own complicity in perpetuating a culture of violence and impunity.

The continued political patronage these individuals enjoy from the ruling APC and the Tinubu political dynasty raises grave concerns about accountability and the rule of law. It is an open secret that some NURTW leaders have long been weaponized during elections, a practice that undermines democracy and endangers the safety of ordinary citizens. More often than not, these so-called “untouchables” operate hand in hand with the police, many of whom are arguably on their payroll from top to bottom. There are documented instances of NURTW leaders assaulting rank-and-file police officers, including Inspectors, without facing consequences. When ordinary citizens clash with these union members, it is usually the citizens who end up criminalised, even when they are the ones who filed complaints at police stations.

The public is therefore encouraged to continue exposing the atrocities committed by rogue elements of the union in collaboration with compromised police authorities. If these “above-the-law” figures cannot be held accountable due to their protection from the APC presidency and the Lagos State government, then the international community must step in to hold them accountable, especially as many frequently travel abroad with their ill-gotten wealth.

Public confidence in the Lagos State Police Command can only be restored when perpetrators of violence and aggression are brought to justice without fear or favour.

Comrade Wale Balogun
Convener, Mekunnu Koya

Comrade Ogundele Ayo
Secretary, Mekunnu koya