Robert Orya convicted as an Abuja court jails the former NEXIM managing director over a N2.4bn fraud involving 49 counts

Robert Orya, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export Import Bank, was on Wednesday, February 5, 2026, convicted and sentenced to a cumulative 490 years’ imprisonment by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over a N2.4bn fraud.

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Justice F. E. Messiri found Robert Orya, who led NEXIM Bank between 2011 and 2016, guilty on 49 counts bordering on fraud following prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC, represented by prosecuting counsel Samuel Ugwuegbulam, told the court that the offences were committed during Orya’s tenure as managing director of the government owned financial institution.

In his judgment, Justice Messiri sentenced the former bank chief to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the 49 counts, bringing the total jail term to 490 years.

The court held that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt, relying on documentary evidence and testimonies that detailed the scale of the financial misconduct.

Justice Messiri described the offences as a serious abuse of public trust, noting that the magnitude of the fraud warranted a firm and uncompromising sentence.

The conviction represents a significant development in Nigeria’s anti corruption drive, reinforcing the EFCC’s stance that senior public officials would be held accountable for financial crimes regardless of status.

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Robert Orya’s sentencing stands as one of the most severe custodial punishments handed to a former chief executive of a public financial institution in recent years.