Prominent Nigerian human rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, has regained his freedom after spending two weeks in police custody amid allegations of misconduct.
Gwamnishu, known for his vocal campaigns against police brutality, advocacy for prisoners’ rights, and involvement in anti-kidnapping efforts, was recently embroiled in controversy following accusations of allegedly diverting ransom money and fabricating content with security agencies for social media engagements. The allegations sparked widespread public debate over accountability within the human rights advocacy space.
Announcing his release via his Facebook page on Tuesday night, Gwamnishu said his time in detention was not without impact. He revealed that he emerged from custody alongside others whose release he helped facilitate.
“I did not return alone,” he wrote. “During my time in custody, I became the cell Presido (OBJ), and later handed over that responsibility to a young man, Onah Abba, who had also been unjustly arrested and detained.”
According to him, four detainees were quietly supported and released during his stay, while Onah Abba, a native of Benue State, also regained his freedom on Tuesday.
Gwamnishu expressed gratitude to his Edo State human rights team, led by John Odion Kadiri, for their role in securing the releases.
His post was accompanied by a video showing one of the individuals freed from detention.
