The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the conviction and 490-year imprisonment handed down to Robert Orya, a former managing director of the Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), over a N2.4 billion fraud case.
A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Muhammed Danjuma, on Tuesday, upheld the judgment of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, which convicted Orya on 49 counts bordering on obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and advance fee fraud.
Orya was sentenced by Frances Messiri on February 5, 2026, after the court found him guilty on all 49 counts filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trial court imposed a 10-year prison term on each of the 49 counts, amounting to 490 years.
However, the sentences are to run concurrently.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Orya appealed to the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the conviction and sentence.
Delivering the unanimous judgment of the appellate panel on Tuesday, Danjuma said the court had considered the briefs filed by counsel and examined the records of the trial court before resolving all the issues raised in the appeal.
He held that the issues formulated for determination were resolved in favour of the EFCC and against Orya, describing the appeal as lacking merit.
“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”, the judge said.
Danjuma delivered the judgment alongside Justices Ntong Festus Ntong and Ele Ejo Enenche.
The EFCC had arraigned Orya in 2021 on a 49-count charge involving alleged financial crimes amounting to N2.4 billion.
Following trial, Messiri ruled that the prosecution had established its case beyond every reasonable doubt and consequently found Orya guilty on all 49 counts.
The court subsequently sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment on each count, with the terms to run concurrently.
Orya served as the Managing Director of NEXIM Bank from 2009 to 2016.
He was first appointed to head the bank on August 14, 2009, by the administration of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and was reappointed on August 18, 2014, by Goodluck Jonathan, former President.
