From Alifa Daniel, Abuja

Ehindero, while briefing the Senate Committee on the Police at the National Assembly complex, named Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Danjuma Ibrahim, as responsible for the killing of four of the six citizens, while the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. Abdulsalam Othman,

issued the order to an assistant superintendent of police for the two others to be killed.

But the chairman of the committee, Senator David Mark, cautioned against giving the event an ethnic colouration as some people are trying to make political fortunes out of the sad incident.

Ehindero disclosed that the men were found culpable after an investigation by a team of detectives led by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police at the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Mr. Ogbonnaya O. Onovo, adding that others recommended for prosecution were Assistant Superintendent of Police, N. J. Zakariah who led the team that killed Miss Tina Arebun and Anthony Nwokike by giving orders for their execution.

Others to face prosecution are Police Constable Ezekiel Acheneje who allegedly shot and killed Nwokike, while another constable, Emmanuel Baba, shot Arebun on the orders of Zakariah.

Ehindero named another police constable, Sadiq Salami, as the first shooter of Nwokike but he survived until Acheneje finished him off.

A Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr. Lawan Ado, who was responsible for the custody of the DPO before he escaped, is facing disciplinary measures from the police, Ehindero said.

In his own remarks, Onovo said that he was in Jos with the Police Inspector-General when words reached him that the DPO had escaped.

"It was when I made the second call that I was told he had escaped. On getting the details, I discovered that it was a case of total negligence." he said.

Othman asked to be allowed to go and pray when he took off, according to Onovo. He, however, said the normal procedure was for a detainee to pray in his detention room and not outside it.

Onovo said when attempts were made to reach the escapee DPO on phone, he initially claimed he was at the Villa, but the second time he said: "I have gone far, nobody can get me now. That was the last time we heard from him."

At the same time, he said, some policemen went to the DPO's office where they met his wife who spoke with him but he only assured her that he would be back soon.

Ehindero said the report before him showed that a distress call from a hotel that armed robbers attacked guests started off the macabre dance of horror.

The police, the report said, responded to the call and stopped a car

with six passengers who allegedly fired at the police team.

"They suddenly wanted to reverse and escape, a gunbattle ensued and seven other patrol vehicles quickly responded to the distress call to assist their colleagues.

"During the exchange of fire, four hoodlums were gunned down with two others injured. They later died in the General hospital, Garki.

"The 406 car was recovered in addition to two locally made pistols, two live ammunition and two expended cartridges, which were taken to Garki Police Station."

Attempts to bury the six led to a riot by spare parts dealers at Apo who hijacked the bodies and the government vehicles that conveyed them.

This led to the constitution of an administrative board of inquiry to investigate the death of the six.

Fourteen policemen, including a commissioner of police and five civilians, testified, Ehindero said, adding that at the end of the inquiry, 10 officers whose "professional judgment in the handling of the situation was adjudged inappropriate" were directed to report to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police "D" Department for further investigation.

Further investigations established that the officers and men mentioned in the killings actually carried out the act and should be prosecuted.