The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the conviction of former Managing Director of the Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), Robert Orya, in a ₦2.4 billion fraud case, affirming the 490-year prison sentence imposed by the lower court.
A three-member panel led by Justice Muhammed Danjuma dismissed Orya’s appeal after finding no merit in the grounds presented by the former bank chief.
Orya had challenged the judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, which convicted him on 49 counts involving allegations of obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and advance fee fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted the case after filing the charges against Orya in 2021.
The trial court subsequently found him guilty on all 49 counts and imposed a 10-year prison term on each count, resulting in a cumulative sentence of 490 years.
Despite the headline figure, Orya is not expected to spend 490 years behind bars. The trial court directed that all the sentences run concurrently, meaning the 10-year terms will be served simultaneously rather than consecutively.
Orya appealed the conviction and sentence, asking the appellate court to overturn the decision of the FCT High Court. However, the Court of Appeal rejected his arguments and upheld the lower court’s judgment.
In delivering the appellate court’s decision, Justice Danjuma said the issues raised by Orya had been resolved against him and concluded that the appeal lacked merit.
Orya served as Managing Director of NEXIM Bank from 2009 to 2016. He was initially appointed to lead the bank in 2009 by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and was subsequently reappointed in 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
