Fresh details have emerged from the lawyer of activist Harrison Gwamnishu regarding the controversial ransom operation in Auchi, shedding new light on allegations that he diverted part of the ransom money during a rescue mission in Edo State.
The controversy erupted after the victim’s family raised an alarm, claiming Harrison deducted a portion of the ransom.
They stated that although the pregnant wife was released, her husband remained in the kidnappers’ den, which led to Harrison’s arrest.
According to his lawyer, Harrison openly explained that during ransom-delivery missions, he typically inserts a tracking device into a prototype or fake cash bundle because real money is too light to conceal the chip.
To balance the weight and make the setup look authentic to the kidnappers, he removes some of the real cash and replaces it with the dummy notes.
The lawyer maintained that the removed money is always returned to the family once the abducted victim is safely released. In this case, a family member reportedly witnessed the adjustment but later claimed he “did not see” anything.
Adding more suspicion to the situation, the lawyer alleged that the victim’s younger brother who was the first to complain that the ransom was incomplete was heard begging for forgiveness in the bush before the pregnant woman was freed, suggesting a possible insider link.
After the ransom drop, Harrison accompanied the family to Auchi Police Station, where he explained his method in detail and immediately returned the removed money.
However, the situation escalated when the case was transferred to SCID Benin. Officers allegedly tried to reenact the incident, pressured Harrison to sign a misleading statement, and detained him when he refused to comply.
The lawyer insists that the tracking chip used during the operation is still active and could help locate the remaining kidnappers, yet authorities appear more focused on detaining Harrison than rescuing the still-abducted husband.
The activist remains in detention as the case continues to spark public debate and raise questions about police handling of kidnapping-related investigations.