Ilabeshi Okhale was ki!.led by gunmen who were thought to be k!.dnappers, and his twin children were taken away. 

On January 1, 2026, The Punch reported that gunmen allegedly broke into his home on December 11 at Kalabar Quarters, Afokpella, Etsako East Local Government, injuring him with machetes and k!.dnapping his children.

According to a resident, the gunmen entered the deceased’s home, turned off his generator, and att@.cked him when he went outside to investigate the cause, injuring him.

The resident claimed that after k!.dnapping his sixteen-year-old twins, Emmanuel and Emmanuella, into the bush, the gunmen demanded a N100 million ransom.

“The k!.dnappers came late in the night when the man was at home with his family. They put out the deceased generator to lure him out. As soon as the deceased came out, they used the machete on him, and he sustained several cuts, which eventually led to his d3.th. The gunmen demanded an N100m ransom from the family, which added to the loss of their breadwinner,” a resident said.

However, the Edo State Police Command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, who confirmed the incident said the abducted twins have been rescued unhurt.

She said the police stormed the scene on receipt of the information and rushed the deceased to Ajie Hospital, where he was confirmed d3.d, and later deposited the corpse at Santa Maria Morgue, Jattu, for autopsy.

According to her, a combined team of police, army, ESSC, hunters, and vigilantes carried out extensive bush combing and rescued the two children unhurt and reunited them with their family.

“I can tell you that the abducted twins have been rescued unhurt by the police and personnel of other sister agencies,” the PPRO said.