N2.4bn fraud: Appeal Court affirms 490 years jail term on ex-NEXIM Bank boss, Orya

By Ayorinde Oluokun

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday affirmed the conviction and sentence of a former Managing Director of Nigeria Export Import Bank, NEXIM, Robert Orya to 490 years’ imprisonment for fraud.

Justice F.E. Messiri of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Abuja had on Thursday, February 5, 2026, convicted and sentenced Orya to 490 years’ imprisonment.

This was after the court convicted Orya on the 49-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and advance fee fraud to the tune of N2.4 billion filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Justice Messiri has affirmed that the prosecution proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt and found the former boss of NEXIM bank guilty as charged on all the 49 counts and sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment on each, totaling 490 years.

The sentences, however, are to run concurrently.

But Orya, who was first arraigned by the EFCC in 2021 appealed the judgment.

However, in a unanimous judgment delivered on Tuesday, a three-man panel of Court of Appeal affirmed the lower court’s judgement.

Leading two other Justices, Ntong Festus Ntong and Ele Ejo Enenche, Justice Muhammed Danjuma stated that, “I have considered all briefs filed by counsel and have gone through the record of the trial court and adopted it and the issues as formulated by this appellate court in resolving this appeal. I looked at each and every issue and in my final analysis, all the issues formulated for the determination of this appeal are resolved in favor of the respondent and against the appellant. This appeal is devoid of any merit and is hereby dismissed. The judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory delivered on February 5, 2026, in charge number FSC/SC/CS/487/2021 is hereby affirmed.”

Orya served as the Managing Director of NEXIM Bank between 2009 and 2016.

He was appointed to the position on August 14, 2009, by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and reappointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan on August 18, 2014.

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