Robert Orya: Ex-NEXIM MD's conviction upheld in ₦2.4bn fraud case

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has unanimously upheld the conviction and sentence of Robert Orya, the former Managing Director of the Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), involving a ₦2.4 billion fraud case.

Orya was arraigned in 2021 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 49 counts, including obtaining money by false pretenses, forgery, and advance fee fraud. The prosecution alleged that Orya abused his position to divert funds through fraudulent loan awards, including using a company with non-existent persons to obtain unpaid loans.

The trial court, presided over by Justice F. E. Messiri, had sentenced Orya to 10 years of imprisonment for each of the 49 counts. While the total mathematical sum of the sentences is 490 years, the court ordered the terms to run concurrently. The appellate panel, led by Justice Muhammed Danjuma, dismissed Orya’s appeal, stating it was “devoid of any merit” and affirmed the lower court's judgment.