Gunmen stormed Okpella, Edo State, on December 30, 2025, gunning down Ilabeshi Okhale in front of his family before abducting his teenage twins, Emmanuel and Emmanuella, in a brazen nighttime raid. Kidnappers swiftly demanded N100 million ransom, thrusting the community into panic as social media erupts with pleas to Governor Monday Okpebholo.
The assailants invaded the family's home Thursday night, shooting Okhale dead on the spot while the twins aged 14-15 witnessed the execution before being dragged away. Locals report the twins' screams echoing as gunmen fled into bush paths, mirroring Shaffy Bello's highway terror warnings amid festive insecurity spikes.
N100m demand floods WhatsApp groups, with viral videos tagging Okpebholo: "Will you fold your hands?" as vigilantes mobilize amid police silence. Edo's kidnap surge echoes Gombe's prince-sister murders and nationwide Christmas road bloodbaths, fueling calls for Tinubu's security overhaul.
Okpebholo faces fire over Okpella's vulnerability despite APC vows, paralleling Umahi's Southeast boasts and Fubara's Rivers flux as banditry defies 2025 interventions. Families plead for swift ops, but twins' fate hangs as Nigeria's insecurity claims another innocent.