A self-proclaimed security mediator, Harrison Gwamnishu, has been accused of diverting part of a crowdfunded ransom meant to secure the release of a couple kidnapped from their home in Aviele, near Auchi, Edo State, on 22 November.
The allegation was raised by Abdulganiyu Oseni, elder brother of the abducted wife, who claimed on Thursday that the activist had received N20 million and an additional N50,000 raised by the family but allegedly failed to remit the full amount to the kidnappers.
Oseni alleged that Gwamnishu had earlier contacted him, offering to help mediate the couple’s release through his Safe City Volunteer Foundation.
He said he had specifically asked the activist whether he charged for such interventions, and was told the support was free.
However, in a series of posts on X, Oseni accused Gwamnishu of diverting a huge portion of the ransom for personal use.
“This is the face of a thief. He stole from the ransom my family laboured for over 10 days to raise. He admitted and remitted N5.4m to the Auchi Area Police Command before he fled. His car is currently detained at the police station,” he wrote.
He further claimed the activist knowingly risked the couple’s lives, despite being told the kidnappers would count every naira delivered.
Gwamnishu, a well-known social media figure who frequently documents joint operations with security personnel in the forests bordering Edo and Delta states, denied the allegations in a lengthy Facebook response on Friday.
He insisted he had neither touched the ransom nor negotiated with the kidnappers, stating that his role was limited to using technology to help track the ransom’s movement for law enforcement.
“I travelled to Auchi on my own to assist without discussing or receiving any payment,” he wrote.
According to him, the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million, before the family bargained it down to N20 million, which was delivered.
He said the woman was released because the kidnappers claimed the amount was incomplete, while the husband remained in captivity.
“They took the money to the kidnappers, and they released only the woman. Those who went told us the kidnappers didn’t count the money but simply said it wasn’t complete,” he said.
Gwamnishu added that he would avoid further public statements to avoid endangering the husband still being held but welcomed an independent investigation by the police, the DSS and the military.
Public records show that the activist’s Safe City Volunteer Foundation was registered on 5 September 2025 with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
READ ALSO: RSU Students Freed After Overnight Abduction in Rivers Community
0 Comments