The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has affirmed the conviction and 490-year prison sentence handed down to former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank, Robert Orya, over a N2.4 billion fraud case.
The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment delivered on Tuesday, dismissed Orya’s appeal against the decision of the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
The three-member panel was led by Muhammed Danjuma, with Ntong Festus Ntong and Ele Ejo Enenche as members.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said in a statement that the panel resolved all the grounds raised by Orya in favour of the anti-graft agency.
Delivering the lead judgment, Danjuma said the court had considered the briefs filed by the lawyers and reviewed the records of the trial court before reaching its decision.
“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,” the judge ruled.
He added: “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 favour of the respondent and against the appellant.
“This appeal is devoid of any merit and is hereby dismissed. The judgement 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 was the managing director of NEXIM between 2009 and 2016.
He was arraigned by the EFCC in November 2021 on a 49-count charge bordering on fraud.
The commission alleged that Orya exploited his position as the bank’s managing director to secure loans from the institution.
According to the EFCC, Orya incorporated a company which allegedly used the names of non-existent persons, as well as those of individuals without their consent, to obtain loans from the bank.
The loans were allegedly left unpaid for several years.
In February 2026, the FCT High Court convicted Orya and sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the 49 counts, amounting to 490 years.
However, the court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, meaning that Orya will effectively serve a 10-year prison term.
