The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by Robert Orya, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), effectively cementing his conviction and cumulative 490-year prison sentence for a multi-billion-naira financial scam.
A unanimous decision delivered on Tuesday by a three-member judicial panel led by Justice Muhammed Danjuma—alongside Justices Ntong Festus Ntong and Ele Ejo Enenche—upheld the lower court’s ruling, declaring the appeal entirely devoid of merit.
Orya’s legal troubles stem from a 49-count corruption charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2021. The anti-graft agency prosecuted the former bank chief for offenses bordering on obtaining money by false pretenses, forgery, advance fee fraud, and official abuse of office amounting to N2.4 billion.
During the trial at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, the prosecution established that Orya utilized his executive position between 2009 and 2016 to funnel funds out of the financial institution. Investigators revealed that he incorporated a front firm, Luxurium Leisure Services Limited, using fictitious names and unauthorized identities of real persons to execute fraudulent loan disbursements. Among the illicit transactions traced by the EFCC were multi-million-naira facilities funneled to proxy entities like Treasure Mix Construction Limited under false pretenses.
On February 5, 2026, the trial judge, Justice F.E. Messiri, ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Justice Messiri found Orya guilty on all 49 counts, sentencing him to 10 years’ imprisonment on each count, which accumulated to 490 years. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently.
Seeking to overturn the verdict, Orya approached the appellate court, arguing against the legitimacy of the trial court’s findings. However, Justice Danjuma noted that the appellate court reviewed all briefs, arguments, and records from the trial, concluding that every formulated issue was resolved in favor of the EFCC.
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With the dismissal of the appeal, the initial judgment of the FCT High Court stands, preserving the landmark sentence handed down against the former managing director.
