A heated controversy has erupted between self-styled security activist Harrison Gwamnishu and the family of an abducted Edo couple, Mr and Mrs Segiru, over allegations that part of the ransom raised for their release was diverted.
The couple was kidnapped from their home in Aviele community, near Auchi, Edo State, on November 22, 2025.
According to a family source, Gwamnishu approached Abdulganiyu Oseni, elder brother of the kidnapped wife, offering to assist through his Safe City Volunteer Foundation, which had previously been involved in advocacy and support for kidnap victims along the Edo–Delta corridor.
Gwamnishu, popular for documenting joint operations with security agencies and displaying recovered weapons, openly condemned the abduction and called for intervention from the Federal and Edo State governments after learning that kidnappers were demanding ₦50 million in ransom.
In a post on his X account on Thursday, Oseni alleged that although Gwamnishu claimed he charged nothing for helping families negotiate ransom or mobilise funds, he eventually received ₦20 million and an additional ₦50,000 from the family, money he said the activist failed to remit in full.
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.”
“He admitted and remitted N5.4m to the Auchi Area Police Command before he fled.”
“His car is currently being detained at the same police station. Nigerians are evil people. Tf do you steal ransom for the lives of a couple?”
He accused the activist of endangering the victims:
“He’s a thief. Say it as it is. 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.”
Responding in a lengthy Facebook post on Friday, Gwamnishu denied ever handling ransom funds.
He insisted that his role was limited to using technology to monitor ransom drop-offs to help authorities track the kidnappers, a method he claims has worked in previous cases.
He wrote:
“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.
“The family raised N20,000,000 for the kidnappers… 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.”
“My work is to follow up with the money so we can get a real-time location and get the military to the exact location, as we’ve done in the past with evidence to back it up.”
He explained that the wife was released because the kidnappers claimed the ₦20 million ransom was incomplete.
“They took the money to the kidnappers, and they released only the woman… They said the kidnappers only told them the money wasn’t complete and they should go.”
According to Gwamnishu, a misunderstanding later occurred at the Auchi Divisional Police Office over the strategy used in the operation.
He maintained that for the sake of the husband still in captivity, he would avoid revealing sensitive details but invited the police, DSS and military to conduct a full investigation.
When contacted, Edo Police spokesperson Moses Yamu said he would provide updates after receiving the full report.
“I will get back to you as soon as I get the facts of the incident,” he stated.
A check by DAILY GAZETTE confirmed that Gwamnishu’s organisation, Safe City Volunteer Foundation, was formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission on September 5, 2025.
