Popular Nigerian activist and founder of the Safe City Foundation, Harrison Gwamnishu, has publicly responded to serious allegations leveled against him by the family of a kidnapped pregnant woman and her husband in Edo State.
Family Accuses Activist of Ransom Theft
The controversy began on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, when Dr. Abdul Ganiyu Oseni took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle, @AbdulGaniyuOse1, to accuse Gwamnishu of financial impropriety. Oseni's pregnant sister and her husband had been abducted, and the family worked for over ten days to raise a ransom for their release.
In a series of posts, Dr. Oseni alleged that Harrison Gwamnishu was given over 20 million naira, plus an extra 50,000 naira for a poorly counted sum, to facilitate the victims' release. He claimed the activist stole from the ransom, leading to only the pregnant woman being freed while her husband remained in captivity.
"This is the face of a thief. Harrison @HarrisonBbi18 stole from the ransom my family labored for over 10days to raise," Oseni wrote. He further stated that Gwamnishu had admitted and remitted 5.4 million naira to the Area Command Police in Auchi before fleeing, and that his car was detained at the same police station.
Gwamnishu's Forceful Rebuttal
In a video statement posted on his Facebook page, Harrison Gwamnishu categorically denied all accusations. He framed the incident as a failed operation and explained that the kidnappers had predetermined that only the wife would be released at that time.
"Nobody stole any money from anywhere, nobody was arrested by the police, nobody ran away from Edo State," Gwamnishu declared emphatically. He revealed that his life had been threatened the previous day and expressed disappointment at the turn of events.
He captioned the video, "THE WIFE WAS RELEASED, THE HUSBAND WAS HELD BEHIND. They praise you when you succeed and crucify you when a mission doesn’t go as planned." Gwamnishu suggested the kidnappers were now "celebrating" because they realized he had been invited to help track them down.
He also emphasized that his involvement was not financially motivated, recounting an offer from a government official which he declined. "I don’t want payment, just the opportunity to test what we have," he stated, asserting his commitment to collaborating with security agencies and vigilantes to curb insecurity.
Public Reaction and Related Incidents
The allegations have sparked mixed reactions online. Some social media users expressed skepticism and fatigue with the situation, while others defended Gwamnishu's track record.
User AdaJesus Nnenna Chukwudi commented, "Is it the k!!dnappers that told the family that you took money. I am t!red of this country called Nigeria." Conversely, Iwuji Chinweuba Angus offered support: "Harrison Gwamnishu even if you do 99 good deeds and do 1 bad,people will still hate you.keep up the good work,your reward is not earthly..."
This incident highlights the perilous and often thankless nature of kidnap negotiation in Nigeria. It comes amid other recent tragedies, including the reported death of an Anglican priest from Kaduna while in captivity after being kidnapped with his wife about a month prior.
The situation remains unresolved as the husband of the pregnant woman is still held by kidnappers, and the serious allegations against Harrison Gwamnishu now hang in the balance between public trust and the activist's defense.
