Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
ABUJA, Nigeria — A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Abuja has convicted and sentenced Robert Orya, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), to 490 years’ imprisonment following his conviction on multiple fraud and abuse-of-office charges linked to the unlawful diversion of public funds. The judgement was delivered on Thursday, February 5, 2026 by Justice F. E. Messiri of the Federal High Court.
According to a statement published by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Orya was found guilty on all 49 counts of the charge brought against him, which included allegations of fraud, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of funds, and abuse of office. The offences were tied to the alleged diversion of about ₦2.4 billion while he served as managing director of NEXIM Bank between 2011 and 2016.
Under the terms of the judgement, Justice Messiri imposed 10-year prison sentences on each of the 49 counts, resulting in a total cumulative sentence of 490 years’ imprisonment. The sentences are to run concurrently, which means that legally Orya will serve the longest single sentence among them, effectively equating to a 10-year term.
The EFCC’s prosecution of Orya began in November 2021, when he was arraigned before the FCT High Court on the 49-count indictment. The anti-graft agency, represented by counsel Samuel Ugwuegbulam, presented evidence over the course of the trial that the former bank chief abused his position to obtain and divert large amounts of money, including structured financial transactions allegedly channelled through entities and arrangements for personal and improper benefit.
Orya, who helmed NEXIM Bank — a government-owned development finance institution — at a critical time for the country’s non-oil export agenda, pleaded not guilty to all counts at his arraignment. Throughout the prosecution, EFCC witnesses and documentary evidence were presented to support the case that the funds were illegally obtained and not deployed for their intended purposes.
The verdict marks one of the most severe judicial outcomes in recent high-profile financial crime prosecutions in Nigeria, reflecting intensified enforcement against senior public officials and executives accused of misappropriating government resources. Observers have noted that while the aggregate sentence is symbolic, the concurrent nature of the terms means Orya’s actual period of incarceration will be governed by the statutory maximum under a single count’s sentence.
In statements following the judgment, the EFCC emphasised its commitment to prosecuting high-value economic crimes and holding individuals in positions of public trust accountable for financial misconduct. The agency characterised the conviction as a demonstration of the judiciary’s readiness to support anti-corruption efforts.
Orya’s tenure as managing director of NEXIM Bank included early activities aimed at repositioning the institution, though it was later overshadowed by legal battles and allegations of procedural abuses. Prior to this conviction, his legal history included other disputes involving the institution, but the 2026 ruling represents a significant and definitive criminal judgment in his public record.
As the legal process continues, it remains to be seen whether Orya’s defence team will pursue appellate remedies, and how this case might influence future prosecutions involving senior executives and misuse of public funds within Nigeria’s financial regulatory framework.
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