The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the conviction of Robert Orya, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), over a fraud case involving about N2.4 billion.
The appellate court delivered its decision on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, after considering an appeal filed by Orya against the judgement of the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Muhammed Danjuma, unanimously rejected Orya’s appeal and affirmed the earlier judgement of the lower court.
The other members of the panel were Justices Ntong Festus Ntong and Ele Ejo Enenche.
The decision followed the court’s review of the records from the trial court and the arguments presented by lawyers representing the parties.
After examining the grounds raised by Orya in his appeal, the appellate panel found no reason to overturn the decision of the FCT High Court.
The Court of Appeal consequently dismissed the appeal for lacking merit and upheld the judgement delivered by the FCT High Court on February 5, 2026.
Orya served as the managing director of NEXIM between 2009 and 2016. Several years after leaving office, he was brought before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in November 2021.
The former bank chief was arraigned on 49 charges connected to alleged fraud and abuse of office. The case centred on allegations that he used his position at NEXIM to facilitate loans that were not properly recovered.
The EFCC alleged that Orya had incorporated a company during his time as managing director and used the identities of people who either did not exist or had not authorised the use of their names to secure loans from the bank.
According to the anti-graft agency, the loans obtained through the company remained unpaid for several years, leading to the fraud charges against the former NEXIM boss.
In February 2026, the FCT High Court found Orya guilty on the 49 counts and sentenced him to 10 years in prison on each count. When added together, the individual sentences amount to 490 years.
However, the sentences were ordered to run concurrently rather than consecutively. This means Orya is expected to serve a total of 10 years in prison rather than 490 years.
With the Court of Appeal now affirming the lower court’s judgement, the conviction and the 10-year concurrent prison term remain in force, subject to any further legal steps available to the former NEXIM managing director.
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