ABUJA — A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank, Robert Orya, to a total of 490 years’ imprisonment over a ₦2.4 billion fraud.
Justice F. E. Messiri, who delivered judgment on Thursday, found Orya guilty on all 49 counts of fraud and abuse of office filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The court imposed a 10-year jail term on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently.
Orya served as Managing Director of NEXIM Bank between 2009 and 2016. He was arraigned in November 2021 following investigations by the EFCC.
According to the anti-graft agency, Orya abused his position to fraudulently obtain over ₦1.4 billion from the bank. The prosecution said he incorporated a company while in office, allegedly using fictitious names and the identities of individuals without their consent to secure loans from NEXIM.
The EFCC told the court that the loans were never repaid, leading to significant financial losses for the bank. The conviction marks one of the most high-profile corruption cases involving a former head of a federal financial institution.
