Edo Kidnapping Ransom Row: Activist Harrison Gwamnishu Accused of Diverting Funds for Personal Use

Activist and self-styled security mediator Harrison Gwamnishu is facing serious allegations from the family of a kidnapped Edo couple, who claim he diverted funds raised to secure their release for personal use. The couple, Mr. and Mrs. Segiru, were abducted from their home in Aviele community near Auchi, Edo State, on November 22, 2025.

According to Abdulganiyu Oseni, the elder brother of the kidnapped wife, Gwamnishu contacted him through his Safe City Volunteer Foundation, offering to mediate in the couple’s release. Oseni said he explicitly asked the activist if he charged for his services, and Gwamnishu assured him that his help was free.

Despite this, Oseni alleges that Gwamnishu received N20 million of the ransom, along with an additional N50,000 contributed by the family, and misappropriated the funds. In a post on his X account, Oseni wrote, “This is the face of a thief. Harrison stole from the ransom my family laboured for over 10 days to raise. He was given N20m plus an extra 50k for poorly counted money. He stole from the ransom to free up my sister and her husband. As it stands, he’s on the run.”

Oseni further claimed that Gwamnishu admitted to remitting only N5.4 million to the Auchi Area Police Command before fleeing, leaving his car detained at the police station. “He was told that these people would count this money. He knew, and he still refused the ransom money. Risking people’s lives. He’s a thief, and there is no sugarcoating,” Oseni added.

Gwamnishu, however, denied the allegations in a lengthy Facebook post, insisting that he never handled the ransom. “The kidnappers demanded N50,000,000 from the family, and the family negotiated with them. I don’t negotiate with kidnappers; my assistance is to follow them up using tech which the police, military and local vigilantes are aware of,” he wrote. He explained that the family raised N20 million, and the kidnappers initially freed only the wife, citing her pregnancy and claiming the ransom was incomplete.

“The family raised N20,000,000 for the kidnappers, and the kidnappers told them that they would free only the woman because they were begging that she was pregnant. The family told me the kidnappers insisted on freeing only the woman. On Monday, I received a phone call from them saying the kidnappers are requesting N20,000,000, and I asked them for the two of them or just the woman. They said for the two,” Gwamnishu said, describing his role as providing real-time tracking to assist security forces.

Gwamnishu added that the blame for the husband’s continued captivity lay with the kidnappers’ assertion that the ransom was incomplete and with the family’s misunderstanding of the process. “They took the money to the kidnappers, and they released only the woman and didn’t release the man. The people who went said the kidnappers did not count the money to determine whether it was below N20 million or above. They said the kidnappers only told them the money wasn’t complete and they should go.”

The activist emphasized that he was willing to cooperate fully with authorities and encouraged an independent investigation by the police, Department of State Services, and military.

When contacted, Edo State Police Public Relations Officer Moses Yamu said he would provide updates after reviewing the full report.

Gwamnishu’s Safe City Volunteer Foundation was registered under the Corporate Affairs Commission on September 5, 2025. The organization has previously highlighted its work supporting security operations along the Edo-Delta borders and sharing documentation of recovered weapons and other evidence during anti-crime activities.