Son of Nigerian MP 'shot dead in revenge for helping put rapists behind bars', mother says
Police are also investigating the possibility Abraham Badru's murder was a case of mistaken identity amid spate of gang-related killings in London
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The mother of a “striking” young man shot dead in the street believes he was murdered in revenge after helping to convict a gang of rapists.
Abraham Badru’s killers have not been found a month on from the killing in Hackney and police are offering a £20,000 reward for information.
The 26-year-old, who was the son of a Nigerian MP, had parked near his family home on 25 March and was on the phone to a friend when he went to get drink from the car boot.
Police said a male suspect approached and shot him in the chest at close range, without warning. He died at the scene.
Mr Badru had received a Police Public Bravery Award award in 2009 for intervening in a sex attack by a local gang and going on to give evidence in the face of their threats and vandalism at his home.
He was just 14 when he witnessed the assault at a party in 2007, helping see nine culprits convicted and one jailed for life.
His mother, Ronke Badru, said the campaign of intimidation left him “scarred for life” and caused him to move away to Bristol aged just 16 to study for his A-levels.
Mr Badru later completed a masters’ degree at the University of Gloucestershire and worked for Bristol City Council as a sport development officer.
When he returned to London in 2016 to look for work, Mr Badru was shocked to bump into one of the attackers – who had been released from prison – in a nightclub, and fled.
He later had his car attacked – its mirrors and windscreen were smashed and the tyres taken off.
Mr Badru asked to be moved out of Hackney borough but believed a housing application would be rejected elsewhere and began saving for a home of his own, which he had hoped to move into later this year.
At the time of his death, he was working as a football coach, having played as a striker for Almondsbury FC.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, his mother said she believes “in my heart” that his killing was revenge.
Recalling the moment she learned her had died, Ms Badru said: “I started shouting 'My only child, my life is empty'. I started rolling on the floor.
“I was like, 'Who would choose to do this to Abraham? Who has he offended to that extent to take his life away?
“He was a very peaceful man, he wasn't violent at all. A very respectful boy and a loving child. He loved everybody and was always at peace with everyone.”
Investigators stressed that the possibility of a revenge killing is just one line of inquiry, and that the shooting may have been a case of mistaken identity amid a spate of gang-related murders across London.
Metropolitan Police officers returned to the Ferncliff Road area on Wednesday to appeal for the public’s help as they attempted to trace a number of witnesses.
Detectives believe the killer arrived just minutes before shooting and may have been lying in wait for Mr Badru, who had not planned to return home that night.
After a gunshot was heard, the suspect is believed to have put on a rucksack and escaped on a white bicycle down a nearby alleyway.
Police want to speak to four people: one who walked down the road minutes before the shooting, a person stood nearby, a man who ran into the road shortly after the killing and another seen talking on a mobile phone as Mr Badru lay on the ground just metres away.
Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh said he wanted to trace “each and every person who was in the area that night”.
“Abraham was an ambitious and talented young man who had everything to live for,” he added.
“He did not deserve what happened to him and his family do not deserve the torment they are suffering now.
“We are now a month on and every day his family have to live knowing that the person who did this is still out there. Someone knows who killed Abraham - the answer lies in the community.”
DCI McHugh assured potential witnesses any information would be treated in the strictest of confidence.
Mr Badru’s murder came amid a spate of killings in London that has caused national alarm, with more than 50 seen so far in 2018.
Two teenagers were fatally shot on one night earlier this month, including a girl believed to have been targeted as part of a “postcode war” between rival gangs.
Recorded crime has risen nationwide in the past year and there has been alarm over the spike in violence in London, including dozens of stabbings.
The government has announced members of a new Serious Violence Taskforce dedicated to combating the phenomenon and delivering the first ever nationwide strategy on the issue.
The group, including the home secretary, mayor of London, MPs, police chiefs and gang crime campaigners, will meet for the first time on Thursday.
Amber Rudd said she wanted to have an “immediate impact on tackling the scourge of serious violence”, but the government has been heavily criticised for allowing police officer numbers to plummet to a record low amid rising demand.
Anyone with any information on Mr Badru’s death is asked to call police on 020 8785 8099, 101 or tweet @MetCC or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Additional reporting by PA