Police relaunch murder probe - 30 years on from chilling execution of Nottingham taxi driver

Police are re-investigating the execution-style shooting of a Nottingham taxi driver who was found tied up inside his car in 30 years ago. Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor, 26, of Sherwood Rise, was shot dead in his taxi on Tuesday, November 22, 1994 - and Crimestoppers are offering £50,000 to anyone with key information into his suspected murder.

He was found by a milkman at 4.30am at Lambley Lane Playing Fields in Gedling with his hands tied and bound to the steering wheel, but while people were arrested at the time of his murder no one was convicted. In the past year, Nottinghamshire Police detectives have been reexamining the case with the help of modern forensic science, in the hope that answers can finally be provided to Mr Ghafoor's family after three decades.

His wife had been pregnant with their daughter when Mr Ghafoor, who was known to his friends and family as Shami, was shot. In a press conference held on Friday, November 22 at the Hilton hotel in Nottingham city centre, police announced the investigation was once again active - with members of his family also present.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin said: “This was a dreadful murder on a young man, a soon-to-be-dad, who was executed in his own taxi in a secluded area of Nottinghamshire. At the heart of this horrific crime is a family; a family that have waited 30 years for answers, 30 years for justice, 30 years for the closure they rightfully deserve.

"Shami’s mum never got that closure. She died never knowing why her eldest son’s life was taken so cruelly from her. Shami’s daughter was born without a dad, forced to live with other people’s anecdotes of him, never having any of her own."

The senior officer explained that while the murder had been reviewed a number of times over the years, the weapon used and Mr Ghafoor's killer were never located. He appealed for members of the public to get in touch with any information that could help his relatives find closure, adding: "Shami’s family can never move on with their lives without answers and you could be sitting on the very answers they require.

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

The last known sighting of Mr Ghafoor was just after 2am in Carlton Square where he was seen with three Asian men in his black and white Ford Sierra. The location his body was found was secluded especially at night and not a location usually used for taxi pick-ups or drop-offs, according to the police force.

Nottinghamshire Police has asked anyone with information to call 101 quoting incident 0300 of November 15 2024 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers, a charity which is independent of the police, is supporting the force's investigation and on Friday, November 22, announced a £50,000 reward as part of the investigation.