A former member of the House of Representatives for Irele/Okitipupa federal Constituency of Ondo state, Akintoye Albert, narrowly escaped death at the weekend when officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, allegedly fired shots at his convoy.

Three people were said to have sustained various degrees of injuries in the process while two of the former legislator’s vehicles were riddled with bullets

It was learnt that those who sustained injuries are still receiving treatments at a private hospital in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.

While narrating his ordeal to journalists in Akure yesterday, Akintoye said he was returning home after a political meeting at Ode irele in Ondo State when men of the NSCDC, about 30 in nunmber, suddenly accosted his convoy along Irele/Ore road and ordered him and members of his entourage to lie on the floor at gunpoint

He explained that his curiosity to know the mission of the officers resulted in sporadic shooting by the officers following which three members of his entourage were badly injured.

Akintoye said the officers, who came with two Toyota Hilux vehicles belonging to the state command, beat members of his team them and damaged their vehicles in the process.

It was also gathered that the NSCDC officers later apologised to Akintoye, claiming that they mistook the victims for oil thieves.

According to him, “The officers claimed that they were chasing some oil bunkerers who normally ply the route. But I want to believe that the attack was politically motivated. I was returning from a political meeting at Irele when the incident happened.

“It was God that saved me. By now I would have been a dead man. The officers later apologised and claimed that they mistook my convoy for that of oil bunkerers.”

The former lawmaker further alleged that the officer who led the team was a younger brother of a top politician from the area.

When contacted, NSCDC spokesman, Kayode Balogun, who neither confirmed or denied the incident, said the officers only reported items confiscated from some oil bunkerers in the area to the command.

He said, “I am not aware that our men attacked or opened fire on the former legislator’s convoy. The officers only reported to the command about some items they recovered from some oil bunkerers in the area at the weekend. We will critically investigate the matter and address it accordingly.”