Murder Squad cops probing the fatal shooting of a personal trainer who testified against gang rapists have arrested a teenage girl.
Police say the 18-year-old suspect was held on suspicion of conspiracy to murder eight months after Abraham Badru, 26, was shot dead in Hackney, east London.
The son of a Nigerian MP died from a shotgun wound to the chest after he was shot from close range while making a call in a parked car late on Sunday March 25.
Abraham’s mum Ronke Badru believes “in her heart” her son was gunned down while he was parked outside the family home as revenge for stopping a brutal gang rape in 2007.
But detectives now believe that his murder may be linked to his love life.
Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh, who is leading the murder inquiry, said: “There remains at least five potential witnesses on the street that night who have not come forward.
“And there may be others who have information they don’t think important, but could be crucial for us in filling in the picture of Abraham’s life.
“We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who saw a male cycling in the area around the time of the murder on a white bicycle – this could be the killer.”
Crimestoppers continues to offer a £20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of Abraham’s killers.
DCI McHugh said: “We have followed up more than 600 lines of enquiry and viewed 200 hours of CCTV footage.
“We have been piecing together the details of Abraham’s life and making good progress and that has led to this arrest today.
“The arrest is as the result of a separate line of enquiry, not linked to the rape trial Abraham previously gave evidence at.
“We believe Abraham had a number of girlfriends and we are keen to know who they were.
“It is possible that he may have been seeing someone who was in another relationship, and I’m appealing for anyone with this sort of information to contact me.”
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “Detectives investigating the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Abraham Badru in Hackney have arrested a woman on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
“The 18-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday November 22nd and remains in custody.”
Officers have also released a timeline of Abraham’s last known movements 24 hours before his death as part of a renewed appeal for information.
He enjoyed a birthday meal with about nine or 10 friends at Restaurant Ours in Chelsea from 10pm, before heading to a nightclub at the Arbor Hotel, east London.
The following afternoon he spent the night there with a woman and travelled to Brent Cross Shopping Centre in north London, before visiting his father’s address at 6pm.
At 9.10pm, two hours before he was shot, Abraham ordered and collected food from 805 Restaurant, in north west London and remained at his father’s home for another hour.
Abraham visited a woman before travelling home for about 20 minutes a 10.20pm and had a 44-minute phone call with a woman on the journey back, before he was fatally shot while he was still on the phone.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “Police were called at 11.11pm on Sunday, 25 March to Ferncliff Road, E8, following reports of gunshots heard.
“Abraham, a personal trainer, was found suffering from shotgun injuries and died at the scene from a shotgun wound to the chest.
“Moments after the shooting, a black male believed to be wearing a black Puffa-type jacket made off from the scene on foot, before getting on a bicycle; he had rucksack on his back. The bicycle is described as white and didn’t have any lights.
“Officers believe there are still a number of witnesses to be traced and previously released a timeline of Abraham’s final movements in a bid for them to come forward.”
By Berny Torre