The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has upheld the conviction and 490-year prison term handed down to Robert Orya, former Managing Director of the Nigeria Export-Import Bank, over a fraud case involving N2.4 billion.

A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Muhammed Danjuma alongside Justices Ntong Festus Ntong and Ele Ejo Enenche, delivered a unanimous ruling on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, throwing out Orya’s appeal for lacking merit.

Orya had been convicted and sentenced on February 5, 2026, by Justice F.E. Messiri of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, after being found guilty on 49 counts relating to obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and advance fee fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned Orya in 2021 in connection with the alleged offences involving the sum of N2.4 billion.

Unhappy with the trial court’s verdict, Orya proceeded to the Court of Appeal in a bid to have his conviction and sentence set aside.

Reading the lead judgment, Justice Danjuma stated that the panel had reviewed the briefs submitted by counsel and gone through the records of the trial court before resolving every issue raised in favour of the respondent and against the appellant.

The appellate court ruled that the appeal lacked substance and accordingly dismissed it.

Justice Danjuma therefore upheld the judgment of the FCT High Court delivered on February 5, 2026, in charge number FSC/SC/CS/487/2021.

At the trial, Justice Messiri had ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted Orya on all 49 counts brought against him.

The judge handed him a term of 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the 49 counts, which totalled 490 years.

The sentences, however, were ordered to run concurrently.

Orya headed NEXIM Bank as Managing Director from 2009 to 2016. He was first appointed to the role on August 14, 2009, by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and was later reappointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan on August 18, 2014.