Edo Court Acquits DHL Manager Over Missing UK-Bound Parcel

In a significant victory for justice, the Edo State High Court has cleared Nuhu Omokide, the manager of DHL in Benin City, of all charges concerning a missing parcel. This ruling by Justice E. G. Adekanmbi decisively overturns the previous decision by the Chief Magistrate Grade II, Afe Osamudiamen, and underscores a critical principle of law: individual liability versus corporate responsibility.

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There is no law that makes individuals in the company liable for the company’s actions or inactions unless those individuals perpetrated crimes hiding under the corporate veil.

The court's judgment, detailed in suit B/10CA/2025, emphasized that DHL, as a legal entity, is responsible for its operations. The prosecution's failure to demonstrate that Omokide personally committed any criminal acts while acting as an individual, rather than in his capacity as a DHL employee, was central to the acquittal. Justice Adekanmbi rightly pointed out that there is no law making company employees liable for the company's actions or inactions unless they are directly involved in perpetrating crimes under the corporate veil.

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In our adversarial system of adjudication, it is never the responsibility of the Defendant to prove his innocence. It was the prosecution who had the unmistakable onus to prove that the Appellant stole or converted the credentials to his own use instead of delivering them.

Furthermore, the High Court found that the evidence presented did not support the claims of appropriation or negligence. Tracking records confirmed the parcel's departure from the Benin office, indicating it was no longer in Omokide's possession. The court rightly stated that in our adversarial system, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. They failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Omokide stole or converted the documents – school certificates and professional credentials – to his own use.

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The prosecution failed to prove the Counts 1–5 beyond reasonable doubt.

This acquittal is a testament to the diligent application of legal principles. It reaffirms that individuals should not be held personally responsible for the failures of a corporate entity without concrete evidence of personal wrongdoing. The N250,000 fine paid by Omokide is to be refunded, bringing a just conclusion to this matter and reinforcing the importance of due process in Nigeria.

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An order discharging and acquitting the Appellant; an order that the N250,000 fine paid by the Appellant be refunded to him.