Popular Nigerian activist and founder of Safe City Foundation, Harrison Gwamnishu, has responded to allegations that he diverted ransom funds meant for the release of kidnapped victims in Edo State.
The controversy began after Dr. Abdul Ganiyu Oseni, whose pregnant sister and her husband were abducted, accused Gwamnishu on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, of taking part of the money raised by the family.
The kidnappers had released the pregnant woman but kept her husband in captivity, prompting tensions and public scrutiny.
Harrison debunks claim
In a video posted on Facebook, Gwamnishu strongly denied the allegations, saying no money was stolen and no member of his team fled Edo State. He explained that the operation did not go as planned and that the kidnappers had already informed the family that only the wife would be released.
He said:
“Nobody stole any money from anywhere. Nobody was arrested by the police, nobody ran away from Edo State. Yesterday, I was threatened. My life was threatened.”
He added that he was invited by authorities purely to assist in tracking the kidnappers, insisting that he requested no payment
“I was in Edo State solely to assist. His Excellency asked, ‘How much do you want?’ and I said, ‘Sir, I don’t want payment, just an opportunity to test what we have.’ If I wanted money, I would have asked for 100 million. It was never about money.”
Gwamnishu said he believes the kidnappers are now “celebrating” because they learned he had been involved in efforts to track them down.
He reaffirmed his commitment to working with the military, police, and local vigilantes to combat insecurity, saying no amount of pressure would make him reveal operational methods.