The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Robert Orya, to a cumulative 490 years’ imprisonment following his conviction in a ₦2.4 billion fraud case.
The conviction was confirmed on Thursday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a statement published on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
According to the anti-graft agency, Justice F. E. Messiri of the FCT High Court, Abuja, found Orya guilty on all 49 counts of fraud preferred against him and sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment on each count. Orya served as Managing Director of NEXIM between 2011 and 2016.
EFCC prosecution counsel, Samuel Ugwuegbulam, successfully proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, leading to the defendant’s conviction on all charges.
The EFCC statement read: “The Commission, on February 5, 2026, secured the conviction of Robert Orya, former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), for a fraud involving approximately ₦2.4 billion. He was convicted by Justice F. E. Messiri of the FCT High Court, Abuja, and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment on each of the 49 counts.”
Meanwhile, in a related development, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday ordered the forfeiture of $20,000 and CFA 110,000 to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The forfeiture was also confirmed in a statement issued by the EFCC, which disclosed that the funds were intercepted by operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) at the Seme Border in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State.
According to the Commission, the monies were handed over to the EFCC for further investigation, leading to the court’s forfeiture order.
