RIVERS State government, again, used the sledge hammer against former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, as it impounded a Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) belonging to the immediate past Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Tony Okocha.

Government officials had insisted that the armoured Range Rover, like some other exotic vehicles said to be in possession of some of the former governor’s aides, belonged to Rivers State and not any individual.

Sunday Tribune gathered that the bullet-proof SUV was removed from Okocha’s residence at Rumuigbo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, at about 9.ooa.m, on Sunday, by security operatives attached to Government House.

It will be recalled that less than two weeks ago, a Lexus Jeep was similarly removed from the official residence of Mrs Ibim Semenitari, who was the Commissioner for Information under the Amaechi administration.

Like in the Semenitari’s case, Okocha was not around when the operation was carried out, even as it was gathered that the vehicle was taken away without any resistance.

Speaking from Abuja where he said he was to observe the Rivers Election Tribunal, Okocha said he was informed that his vehicle had been taken away on the orders of the state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.

The former Chief of Staff maintained that the vehicle was his ‘status car’ which the law allowed him to own after his service as a Government House Chief of Staff.

He said, though he was not annoyed by the action, he was only surprised at what he said was the governor’s “seeming introduction of militarism into democracy.

“I have just been informed of the forceful confiscation of my status car in the usual brigandage and ‘Rambo’ approach, which typifies the new caretaker administration in Rivers State.

“I am not, however, surprised at the uncouth action, knowing Mr Wike’s nuances like the back of my hand. But (I want to) warn that this seeming introduction of militarism into our democratic experience and the attendant ignominies may well become our bane if not checked.

“It was the courtesy of Honourable Amaechi that Wike became the minister of the Federal Republic, an exposure that he (Wike) seized to effectively malign his benefactor because of vaulting ambition.”

He also disagreed with the claim by the government that the Range Rover parked in his residence was without its four tyres when it was taken away.

“Is it possible to remove the tyres of my vehicle that I drive always? It is a white lie to say that the vehicle was parked without tyres.

“If they think they are saying the truth, let them show pictures of the vehicle while it was being removed. They must have used a forklift to remove it”, Okocha said.

Speaking on the issue, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Sir Opunabo Inko-Tariah, insisted that there was no way an armoured Range Rover would be a status car of a Chief of Staff in the state.

Maintaining that the four tyres of the vehicle were removed at the point it was parked inside Okocha’s residence, the governor’s media aide said the Range Rover was the property of the state government.

“As Chief of Staff, he (Okocha) has no right to use a bulletproof car without leave from government. Yes, a bulletproof Range Rover was recovered from his (Okocha) residence.

“However, what is staggering is that he removed all the tyres to demobilise the car and obviously to frustrate recovery.

“That act in itself is highly suspicious and obviates the need for any further evidence that it was stolen from the Government House. You don’t need to remove the tyres of your car if there are no sinister plots” he said.