Robert Orya’s 490-Year Jail Term Upheld by Appeal Court after the Ex-NEXIM Bank MD Contested the Initial Judgement

490-Year Jail Term for the Ex-NEXIM Bank MD Upheld by Appeal Court

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has thrown out an appeal filed by Robert Orya, former Managing Director of the Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), against his conviction and 490-year prison sentence over a N2.4 billion fraud case.

The Judgment

A three-member panel of the appellate court delivered a unanimous ruling on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, dismissing Orya’s appeal for lacking merit. The panel was led by Justice Muhammed Danjuma, sitting alongside Justices Ntong Festus Ntong and Ele Ejo Enenche.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Danjuma said the panel had reviewed the briefs filed by counsel and examined the trial court’s records before resolving every issue raised in favour of the respondent — the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) — and against Orya. The court held that the appeal was devoid of merit, and Justice Danjuma affirmed the judgment of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court delivered on February 5, 2026, in charge number FSC/SC/CS/487/2021.

How the Case Began

The EFCC had arraigned Orya in 2021 over allegations bordering on obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and advance fee fraud, all connected to N2.4 billion. On February 5, 2026, Justice F.E. Messiri of the FCT High Court, Abuja, found him guilty on all 49 counts, ruling that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Messiri sentenced Orya to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the 49 counts — a cumulative total of 490 years. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, meaning Orya serves the terms simultaneously rather than one after another.

Unhappy with the trial court’s decision, Orya took his case to the Court of Appeal, seeking to have both the conviction and sentence overturned. That bid has now failed.

Who Is Robert Orya?

Orya led NEXIM Bank as Managing Director from 2009 to 2016.

Robert Orya's 490-Year Jail Term Upheld by Appeal Court after the Ex-NEXIM Bank MD Contested the Initial Judgement
Robert Orya, Ex-NEXIM Bank MD

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

What This Means

With the Court of Appeal’s affirmation, the trial court’s findings and sentence stand. Barring a further appeal to the Supreme Court, the ruling closes out one of the higher-profile financial crime cases involving a former head of a federal financial institution, reinforcing the EFCC’s push to hold public office holders accountable for alleged mismanagement of public funds.

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