By SCM Reporter I Tuesday, Sept 08, 2026
ABUJA, Nigeria — A Nigerian appellate court has upheld the fraud conviction and 10-year prison sentence of Robert Orya, the former managing director of the state-backed Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), affirming a ruling tied to the illicit diversion of N2.4 billion (roughly $1.5 million) in public development funds.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja dismissed Mr. Orya’s appeal for lack of merit, confirming the initial verdict delivered earlier this year by Justice F.E. Messiri of the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
Mr. Orya was convicted on 49 criminal counts, including obtaining money under false pretenses, forgery, breach of trust, and abuse of office.
Although the trial court imposed a mandatory 10-year sentence on each individual count—a aggregate term of 490 years—the judge ruled that the sentences will run concurrently, capping his effective prison term at 10 years.
A Scheme Involving Shell Entities and Forged Documents
The charges, prosecuted by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), centered on fraudulent loan disbursements during Mr. Orya’s tenure leading the trade finance institution.
According to court filings, Mr. Orya orchestrated a scheme using a corporate entity called Luxurium Leisure Services Limited, which he set up using fictitious identities and unauthorized names.
Between 2011 and 2013, he leveraged the entity to approve major commercial loans under the guise of legitimate export-development financing.
In one instance highlighted by prosecutors, Mr. Orya induced NEXIM Bank to disburse N488 million to a construction company while falsely claiming the funds were designated for Luxurium Leisure Services. In another instance, N630 million was diverted through similar misrepresentations. The loans went unpaid, triggering a criminal investigation following his departure from the bank.
First appointed in August 2009 by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, he was later reappointed in 2014 under President Goodluck Jonathan before stepping down in 2016.
NEXIM Bank was established as a government-owned export credit agency to support non-oil exports and facilitate commercial credit for Nigerian enterprise.
The appellate court’s decision marks a major victory for the EFCC, which first arraigned Mr. Orya in November 2021.
Over the course of the multi-year trial, prosecutors presented seven witnesses and extensive financial documentation detailing the paper trail of forged loan applications.
The appellate panel ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, leaving the conviction fully intact.
