By Chris Agbambu, Uchenna Awom (Abuja) and Sunny Igboanugo (Lagos)

The South-East caucus in the House of Representatives met last night at the Apo Legislative residence of the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Gilbert Nnaji, to take a common stand on the controversy surrounding the killing of six Igbo traders in Abuja. A press conference may be addressed today in Abuja.

Similarly the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Federal Government to unravel the motive and the actual identity of the policemen behind the killings, which took place at the Apo mechanic village in Abuja held their inaugural sitting on Tuesday, but adjourned shortly to 9am Friday.

Daily Independent learnt that members of the South East caucus were summoned to Abuja following pressures from home for them to ‘take more than a passive interest on the matter’.

However, Chairman of the panel of inquiry, Justice Olasumbo Goodluck, called for memoranda from members of the Public. She said any member of the public who has any information should forward it to the secretary of the commission.

No testimony was taken as only counsels to Ohaneze, the Apo traders, families of the victims and the police announced their appearance.

Public interest on the matter has remained on the up swing as the court room at the large Customary Court of Appeal at Utako District was filled to the brim as early as 8am by spectators especially traders from Apo and executives of Abuja Chapter of Ohaneze Ndigbo led by its President, Vidal Wachuku.

People gathered in groups discussing outside the courtroom on the reported disappearance of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Garki, Abuja Abdulsalam Othman, from police detention and the confession of the detained officers of committing the crime and that the traders were not robbers afterall.

But facts emerged indicating that CSP Lawan Ado detained for the escape of the DPO) of Garki Police Station may be tried and dismissed from the force for negligence.

Ado reportedly obtained the statement of the fleeing DPO, and thereafter allowed him to go and pray both of them being course mates, but never knew Othman will betray him by escaping.

The now detained Ado, who had long been in Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), was recently transferred out of the Force Headquarters, Abuja to Kogi State, but was yet to resume in his new posting when the Apo incident happened.

Following the escape of the DPO, security has now been tightened around the Deputy Commissioner Operations (FCT) Danjuma Ibrahim and the other eight officers and men.