'Community hero' was on phone to friend when he was shot dead

Detectives hunting the killer of a "community hero" are scouring his personal life for any clue as to why he was murdered.

Abraham Badru, 26, was gunned down in Hackney, east London, on March 25 after opening the boot of his AMG Mercedes to look for a drink.

He was on the phone to a friend when he was shot in the chest by a killer who it is believed may have been lying in wait.

One line of inquiry is whether his murder was linked to an act of bravery in 2009 when he saved a teenage girl from being raped, and gave evidence against her attacker in court.

Police are also looking at his love life and his business interests.

Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh said: "He doesn't have anything in his lifestyle that we are aware of that would suggest that he is mixing or engaged in the kind of criminality that would cause this kind of action to be taken."

Witnesses who saw a black man wearing a black puffa jacket loitering around Ferncliff Road between 10.45pm and 11.15pm on March 25 are being asked to come forward. After the shooting it is believed he went off towards Downs Park Road, turning right into an alley to Langford Close.

On the night he died, Abraham had changed his plans and it is not clear how the killer knew where he would be.

Police believe he may have been watching the house in the days or weeks before the shooting.

Mr McHugh said: "What seems out of the ordinary is that Abraham was with family earlier in the evening and he hadn't planned to come home. It was a change of plans. How did the killer know that he was going to be there?"

A £20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the murderer.

Relatives of Mr Badru, whose father is a Nigerian MP, said the pain of losing him is "unbearable".

They added: "Abraham has been snatched from us; he didn't die of an illness, a freak accident, or of natural causes, no death is ever easy but he died because he was shot.

"He was shot by person/persons terrorising the peace of the community, terrorising innocent people, threatening our freedom on our streets and threatening our progression.

"We plead with any parent, siblings, extended family, friends, associates, in desperation that if you have any information to please come forward."

The masters graduate is one of nearly 50 people who have been murdered in London this year so far.

Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh added: "The answer to Abraham's death lies in the community. I know that people are talking about what happened.

"It is something truly out of the ordinary, a community hero being murdered.

"His family and friends cannot comprehend what has happened, and there are no words that can adequately describe the pain Abraham's family are going through.

"Abraham was a striking young man and a real contributor to society. He was awarded a National Police Bravery Award in 2009 after intervening in a rape and then giving evidence in court.

"Such courage and an overwhelming sense of what was right and wrong clearly demonstrated his strength of character."

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