The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the 10-year prison sentence imposed on former Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank) Managing Director, Roberts Orya, dismissing his appeal against the conviction.
A three-member appellate panel led by Justice Muhammed Danjuma unanimously rejected Orya’s challenge to the February 5, 2026 judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja. The lower court had found him guilty on all 49 counts brought against him.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Orya in 2021 with obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and advance fee fraud. Prosecutors alleged that he abused his position at NEXIM Bank to divert about N2.4 billion through fraudulent loan transactions.
Justice Danjuma, delivering the lead judgment, said the court had considered the briefs filed by both sides as well as the record of proceedings from the trial court. He ruled that all four issues raised in Orya’s appeal were resolved against him and in favour of the EFCC.
The appellate court subsequently dismissed the appeal as lacking merit and affirmed the High Court’s judgment. Orya had originally been sentenced to 10 years for each of the 49 counts, but the trial judge ordered the sentences to run concurrently, leaving the overall prison term at 10 years.
Among the allegations examined at trial was a N488 million loan allegedly paid to Treasure Mix Construction Limited. The EFCC claimed the transaction was based on the false representation that directors of Luxurium Leisure Services Limited had applied for and received the facility. Another disputed transaction involved an alleged N630 million payment under similar circumstances.
The EFCC also alleged that Luxurium Leisure Services Limited was registered using the names of people who either did not exist or had not consented to the use of their identities. According to the prosecution, loans were later granted to the company but were not repaid.
The case lasted more than four years, with the prosecution calling seven witnesses before the High Court delivered its verdict in February 2026. Orya, who headed NEXIM Bank from 2009 to 2016, now faces the upheld 10-year sentence following the Court of Appeal’s decision.
