Source: New Zealand Police
Attributable to Wellington CIB Investigations Manager, Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Leitch:
Police are releasing further details six months on from the homicide of 63-year-old Abdul Nabizadah, including that multiple people are thought to be involved.
The investigation continues as no charges have been laid in relation to his death.
Mr Nabizadah was critically injured on Camperdown Road in Miramar about 12.30am on Monday 17 March.
Police believe Mr Nabizadah was assaulted and robbed after he was lured to the area as part of a premeditated attack.
The offenders, who stole nothing more than his car keys, then callously left him bleeding and unconscious on the footpath with serious head injuries.
Mr Nabizadah’s head injuries were un-survivable, and he later died in Wellington Hospital despite best efforts from medical professionals and experts.
The investigation team previously identified a connection between the homicide and the aggravated burglary of a Darlington Road property that occurred 90 minutes after Mr Nabizadah’s assault.
At around 2am, a man was discovered inside the Darlington Road address, leading to a physical altercation and injuries to one of the home’s occupants.
A 28-year-old man has been charged in relation to the aggravated burglary.
A cell phone left behind at the Darlington Road property by the offender was allegedly used to lure Mr Nabizadah to Camperdown Road, where the assault took place.
After an extensive investigation, we now believe there was more than one person involved in the plan to rob Mr Nabizadah, and that this may have included the use of a weapon.
There has been varying levels of co-operation from those we understand to be involved, as well as information from the public regarding both incidents.
We continue to ask anyone who has information and is yet to contact us to please come forward.
While we understand it may be difficult for people to speak with us, if it was your family member, what would you want someone with information to do?
Six months on from this tragic incident, the Nabizadah family has not received the closure they need to move on.
Mr Nabizadah was a husband, father, and grandfather, who brought his family to New Zealand from Afghanistan seeking a better life.
Instead, his life was taken in a violent and senseless way.
Police are determined to get justice for Mr Nabizadah and will continue to investigate the matter for his family and the community.
It is not too late to provide Mr Nabizadah’s family with answers – if you know something, we encourage you to speak with us.
Every piece of information, no matter how small you think it may be, is vital to our investigation.
If you have any information that could assist our investigation team, please get in touch with us online through 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105.
Please use the reference number 250317/6324, or reference Operation Celtic.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
