CRIME
FCT High Court Slams Former NEXIM Managing Director Robert Orya with 490-Year Jail Term over ₦2.4 Billion Fraud, Abuse of Office and Massive Financial Misconduct
A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Robert Orya, to an unprecedented total of 490 years imprisonment over a ₦2.4 billion fraud case.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday, February 5, 2026, by Justice F. E. Messiri, following a protracted trial instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Orya was convicted on all 49 counts of fraud, corruption, and abuse of office levelled against him by the anti-graft agency. The court imposed a sentence of 10 years on each count, to run consecutively, amounting to a cumulative jail term of 490 years.
The offences stem from financial transactions carried out while Orya served as Managing Director of NEXIM Bank between 2011 and 2016.
The EFCC had accused the former bank chief of exploiting his position to unlawfully divert public funds, obtain large sums of money under false pretences, and engage in other corrupt practices that caused huge financial losses to the bank.
Orya was first arraigned before the FCT High Court on November 25, 2021.
The charges against him bordered on criminal breach of trust, impersonation, misappropriation of funds, official corruption, fraud, and abuse of office.
Part of the case revealed the alleged diversion of over ₦1.3 billion from NEXIM Bank through multiple illegal transactions allegedly executed under his leadership.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by EFCC counsel Samuel Ugwuegbulam, called witnesses and tendered documentary evidence which the court admitted and relied upon in reaching its verdict.
Justice Messiri, in his ruling, held that the prosecution successfully established the elements of the offences and proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court further ruled that Orya deliberately abused the powers of his office and orchestrated fraudulent schemes that resulted in the loss of billions of naira belonging to the Nigerian state.
The conviction aligns with intensified efforts by the EFCC under its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, to conclude long-standing corruption cases involving high-profile public officers and recover looted public funds.
Since assuming office, Olukoyede has repeatedly affirmed that the fight against corruption would be pursued without fear or favour and that no individual, regardless of status, would be above the law.
Orya’s downfall marks a dramatic contrast to the early phase of his tenure at NEXIM Bank, when he was associated with initiatives aimed at repositioning the institution and expanding support for non-oil exports.
However, his leadership later became mired in allegations involving questionable loan approvals, financial irregularities, and persistent violations of established banking procedures, ultimately culminating in his conviction and lengthy sentence.