A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Robert Orya, to a combined 490 years in prison over a ₦2.4 billion fraud case.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday, February 5, 2026, by Justice F. E. Messiri, following a prolonged trial instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Orya was convicted on all 49 counts preferred against him, bordering on fraud and abuse of office committed during his tenure as managing director of the bank. The court sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment on each count, amounting to a total of 490 years.
The offences were linked to several financial transactions that occurred while Orya headed NEXIM Bank between 2011 and 2016. The EFCC had accused the former bank chief of abusing his office to divert public funds and unlawfully obtain huge sums of money from the bank.
Investigations by the anti-graft agency revealed that Orya allegedly engaged in multiple corrupt practices, including the diversion of funds and other financial misconduct tied to his leadership of the bank.
Orya was first arraigned before the FCT High Court on November 25, 2021. According to Sahara Reporters, the charges against him included criminal breach of trust, impersonation, misappropriation of funds, official corruption, fraud, and abuse of office.
The prosecution further told the court that part of the case involved the alleged diversion of over ₦1.3 billion from NEXIM Bank through various illegal transactions carried out under Orya’s watch.
The EFCC described the judgment as a significant step in the fight against corruption in Nigeria’s public financial institutions.