Met Police Pause Investigation into Murder of Witness Who Convicted Rapists Metropolitan Police has paused the investigation into the 2018 murder of Abraham Badru, a 26‑year‑old witness who helped convict rapists. The decision cites resource constraints, sparking criticism from Badru's family. The Metropolitan Police have halted the investigation into the murder of Abraham Badru, a 26‑year‑old former sports science graduate who was killed outside his Hackney home in March 2018. The decision, announced to the families of Badru and to the press, cites a lack of resources as the primary reason for stopping active investigative work. A senior detective told the family that "this is primarily due to resourcing pressures" and that officer numbers within the homicide command have been reduced on several occasions over recent years.No suspects have been identified in the eight‑year‑old case and the Met has informed Badru's parents that no new investigative steps are being undertaken. The pause has sparked anger from Badru's father, Enitan, who accused the force of abandoning his son's case and framed the decision as a betrayal of a man who had risked his life to help secure the convictions of nine rapists.Enitan called the case a "legacy" that only became a legacy because it has never been solved. He demanded that the police honor the courage of his son, who was awarded a bravery award by the force in 2009 after he intervened to rescue a girl from an attempted gang rape on a Hackney estate in 2007.He described his son as having "sacrificed everything to help them, to do what was right" and said that without his testimony the rapists would have remained free. Abraham Badru's story began in 2007 when he, then 14, helped a young woman escape an assault by a gang of teenage rapists. He later gave evidence that contributed to the conviction of nine perpetrators, including a life sentence for one of the attackers.The case raised public scrutiny and produced a series of indeterminate detention orders for the remaining defendants. After the trials, Badru lived under constant threat from the criminal group he had helped prosecute. He wore a disguise, stayed indoors and even changed his name to avoid reprisals, while his mother, Ronke, received threatening messages such as "you're dead meat" and "a snitch" after the suspects were arrested.Despite pleas for protection from the police, he and his family felt unsafe and felt pressured not to interfere with witnesses' protection. On the night of March 25, 2018, Badru was shot dead outside his home after returning from a call with a woman. His death prompted an inquest four years later, where Detective Sergeant Matthew Bennett testified that the police could not establish any link between the murder and any suspect or motive.The investigation explored a connection to the former rape suspects, but they all had alibis for the time of the killing, leaving the investigative case in a state of silence. The Met's pause refuses to continue these lines of inquiry, leaving the case closed pending resource availability. It has prompted calls for an independent review and for allocations to be restored to the homicide unit.The families are demanding a full and transparent investigation, arguing that Badru's contributions to justice should not be erased by resource constraints. Abraham Badru's legacy as a witness who helped bring perpetrators to justice contrasts sharply with the handling of his own death. His bravery award, presented in 2009, juxtaposes the recent decision to abandon the investigation of his murder, creating a narrative of abandonment within the police force that resonates with many observers.The case brings to light issues of police resource allocation, victim witness protection, and the overall credibility of the Metropolitan Police when dealing with high‑profile missing homicide cases. It remains one of the most chilling examples of how the stories of unsolved murders can intersect with the legacy of those who dared to stand against injustice.