A’Court Upholds 490-Year Jail Term for Ex-NEXIM Bank MD

Court of Appeal dismisses Robert Orya’s challenge, affirming his conviction on 49 fraud-related counts involving N2.4 billion.

Damilare Adebayo · September 9, 2026 · 144

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the conviction and 490-year prison sentence imposed on former Managing Director of the Nigeria Export-Import Bank, Robert Orya, over a N2.4 billion fraud case.

A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Muhammed Danjuma, unanimously dismissed Orya’s appeal challenging the judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

The other members of the panel were Justices Ntong Festus Ntong and Ele Ejo Enenche.

In its judgment, the appellate court held that the appeal lacked merit and affirmed the decision of the trial court delivered by Justice F.E. Messiri on February 5, 2026.

Orya was prosecuted after he was arraigned in 2021 on a 49-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and advance fee fraud involving N2.4 billion.

The trial court found him guilty on all 49 counts after determining that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Messiri subsequently sentenced Orya to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the 49 counts, resulting in a total sentence of 490 years.

However, the sentences were ordered to run concurrently, meaning the individual terms will be served at the same time rather than consecutively.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, Orya approached the Court of Appeal seeking to have his conviction and sentence overturned.

Delivering the appellate judgment, Justice Danjuma said the panel had considered the briefs filed by the parties and reviewed the records of the proceedings before the trial court.

The court resolved the issues raised in the appeal against Orya and dismissed the challenge, thereby leaving the conviction and sentence intact.

Orya served as Managing Director of NEXIM Bank from 2009 to 2016. He was first appointed to head the bank on August 14, 2009, by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and was reappointed on August 18, 2014, by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Court of Appeal’s decision means the February 5 conviction remains in force, subject to any further legal challenge available to the former bank chief.