Reward of £50k offered over 1994 taxi driver murder

The sister of a taxi driver who was found shot dead in his car with his hands tied and bound to the steering wheel hopes they have come to a "turning point" 30 years after the murder.

Nottinghamshire Police, which announced on Friday it is reinvestigating the murder, said Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor - known to his friends and family as Shami - was shot in the early hours of 22 November 1994.

The 26-year-old, who was expecting a baby daughter at the time, was discovered by a milkman at Lambley Lane Playing Fields in Gedling, Nottinghamshire.

A reward of up to £50,000 has been offered for information on Mr Ghafoor's murder, which has been described by police as an "execution".

The force added a team of detectives were working to "ensure justice is finally served".

Mr Ghafoor's sister Aisha, who attended a police press conference, said the family were "always hopeful".

"As long as we're around we won't give up. We want justice," she added. "Without justice and without closure, you never see the peace.

"We know none of this will bring him back. But we want to know the truth."

She said the "heinous" murder of her brother has had an impact on the whole family, including a sibling who was only 17 years old at the time, and "never recovered" after the murder.

"He got into a deep depression," Ms Ghafoor said.

"He couldn't understand how Shami was targeted in a way that he was targeted.

"He had mental issues throughout his life. And then three years ago, he died of a cardiac arrest. He actually gave up living a long time ago."

She said Mr Ghafoor's son and daughter both had three children each of their own, who "will never know how much of a loving grandfather he would have been".

She has urged anyone who may have information about the murder to come forward, adding: "To have killers walking down the street, openly, not having brought to justice - it's just unfathomable.

"We are hoping that this is a turning point."

Mr Ghafoor's brother, Harfan, recalled the last time he saw his late sibling, just before he left for work.

"I was fighting him for a kiss on the cheek," he said.

"And that was on the night, before he left for work. He gave in in the end, he always did."

But the next morning, everything changed.

"My world [was] crushed," said Mr Gharfoon. "I couldn't believe it."

He said the new efforts to investigate his brother's murder 30 years on were "very important", adding he is mindful his brother's murderer is "still out there".

"I'm very picky on who I become friends with. Because we just don't know," he added.

"Anybody who we've grown up with or whatever, they could possibly be the murderers of my brother."

He said he had more friends in his professional life because of the "association of not knowing".

"We're forever hopeful aren't we?" he added. "Until the last breath.

"He's my brother. It's my blood. Regardless of what people might think, he's a member of the family."

Police said Mr Ghafoor, of Sherwood Rise in Nottingham, was last seen in Carlton Square with three Asian men in his black and white Ford Sierra just after 02:00 GMT. His body was found at 04:30.

The weapon used in the killing has never been recovered, the force added.

Mr Ghafoor and his wife had been expecting a baby daughter at the time of his death. He also had a five-year-old son.

A number of people were arrested at the time, but no-one has ever been convicted.

Mr Ghafoor, who had been working on the night he was killed, was well-known among his colleagues, the force added.

Officers said the location his body was found was secluded, especially at night, and was not a place usually used for taxi pick-ups or drop-offs.

The appeal includes the reward offered by Crimestoppers, in exchange for any leads given exclusively to the charity that could lead to a conviction, and it runs until 22 February.

The charity is appealing to the public to contact them anonymously if they have any information.

Police say major developments in forensic science have allowed items from the scene of the crime to be examined, providing detectives with new opportunities.

The force believes the answer lies within the community, and asked anyone with information, no matter how small, to come forward.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin said Mr Ghafoor was "probably associating with some members of the criminal fraternity".

"I don't think he was involved in organised crime, but I do think he got himself involved with people who were, and probably found himself out of his depth," he said.

"This is why I think he was killed."

ACC Griffin said Mr Ghafoor's family had waited "30 years for the closure they rightfully deserve".

"Shami's family can never move on with their lives without answers and you could be sitting on the very answers they require," he said.

"We know that there will be people out there that know what happened, that have that information.

"We know that loyalties change over the years, and this is exactly what we are relying on.

"We are hoping that people that felt they were not able to speak out all that time ago will feel differently now and feel able to come forward."

ACC Griffin said a number of reviews of "this terrible crime" had been carried out over the last 30 years.

In 2013, Mr Ghafoor's family launched a Facebook campaign to appeal for information and help catch his killer.

A reward of up to £20,000 was offered ahead of the 20th anniversary of Mr Ghafoor's "targeted" shooting.

Later that year, three pieces of evidence were revealed by police investigating the murder.

"We have been working closely with Shami's family over the last 18 months, during which time I have personally met with them several times," said ACC Griffin.

"I have explained to them why we have put together a new team of senior detectives, a fresh pair of eyes, to ensure that no stone is left unturned and that all new and existing avenues are explored."

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