The killer of a personal trainer shot dead as he got a drink from the boot of his car remains on the loose a year on, with detectives facing a wall of silence.

Abraham Badru, 26, was gunned down next to his AMG Mercedes after pulling up near his home in Hackney, east London, on March 25 2018.

Police are still baffled as to the motive for Mr Badru’s death, with one line of inquiry being a string of relationships he had with different women.

Another is death threats he received after he intervened to stop a gang rape, going on to give evidence against the attackers.

Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh said: “It’s now been an entire year since Abraham was gunned down on the street and while our investigation has made significant progress, we still don’t know why he was killed in such a brutal way.

“One line of inquiry is that this may have been a case of mistaken identity and that Abraham was executed in error, although we cannot discount the possibility that the motive may be connected to one of several relationships he’d had.

Ronke Badru
Abraham’s mother, Ronke Badru (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

“It is hard for everyone involved to understand what could have led to this murder, we need someone to tell us why this happened. We have made several appeals over the past year but there remain a number of people who have not come forward.”

Investigators do not know why a wall of silence has gone up surrounding the graduate’s death.

Mr McHugh said: “Abraham’s family, as you can imagine, are devastated and desperate to see someone brought to justice and get an answer to their key question: ‘Why?’

“I personally feel deeply troubled and frustrated when I speak to Abraham’s courageous mother and I have to explain the silence that has descended amongst the community. I do not know why there is a silence.

“I appreciate that people may be scared by the very nature of the murder within their community. But there are other ways to provide us with information rather than calling police directly – you can speak to the charities Crimestoppers or Fearless, completely anonymously.

“They have amazing track records of helping to remove dangerous people from our streets, a desire we all share.”

Abraham Badru death
Tributes on Ferncliff Road in Hackney, where Abraham Badru was shot dead on March 25 2018 (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

A man and a woman walked close to the murder scene in Ferncliff Road within minutes of the shooting, but they have not spoken to police.

The woman was white and wearing a three-quarter length Puffa-style coat, while the man, also white, who was seen a few minutes later, was wearing shorts.

Mr McHugh also asked for a caller who contacted the police incident room on behalf of a friend in June to get back in touch, saying they have “really important information”.

In a statement issued through police, Abraham’s family said: “There is still no justice for us since his killer is still on the loose. If you have any information that may be related to the case, we implore you to come forward anonymously.

“We ask that you empathise with us in finding justice for a man who put the safety of others before himself. Our family cannot move forward without finding peace in knowing that Abraham’s killer has been captured. Time never stops but we continue to speak his name, knowing that justice will be served, no matter how long it takes.”

Wendy Badru
Abraham’s half-sister, Wendy Badru (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

Abraham received a police bravery award for his actions stopping the gang rape and bringing the attackers to justice.

He was just 14 when he witnessed the attack at a party in 2007, and intervened to help the victim.

The Liverpool fan was threatened by the culprits and his home was pelted with eggs, but he went on to give evidence at court and nine people were convicted, one of whom was jailed for life.

On the day he died, Abraham had spent the day shopping collecting a takeaway and seeing his father and stepsister.

Abraham Badru
Police have said there is a ‘wall of silence’ surrounding Abraham’s death (Met Police/PA)

He then visited a woman between 10.20pm and 10.40pm before driving home. During the journey he was on the phone to a second woman for 44 minutes, and was still on the call at 11.11pm when he was shot.

A black man wearing a black Puffa-style jacket was seen running away, before getting on a white bike that had no lights.

Abraham had changed his plans at the last minute and detectives are trying to find out who would have known where he would be at that time.

An 18-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder in November and released under investigation.

Anyone with information can call the police incident room on 020 8785 8099, or to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit www.fearless.org.