Ex-NEXIM Bank Boss Jailed 490 Years For ₦2.4B Fraud

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Robert Orya, to 490 years in prison for fraud totaling ₦2.4 billion. According to Ireporter Online, Justice F. E. Messiri delivered the judgment on Thursday, February 5, 2026, after a lengthy trial brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Orya was convicted on all 49 counts of fraud and abuse of office linked to his tenure as head of NEXIM between 2011 and 2016. The court imposed a 10-year sentence for each charge, resulting in a cumulative 490-year jail term.

Investigators from the EFCC alleged that Orya misappropriated large sums of public funds, engaged in corruption, and diverted more than ₦1.3 billion from the bank through unlawful transactions. He was first arraigned before the FCT High Court on November 25, 2021. The charges included criminal breach of trust, impersonation, misappropriation of funds, official corruption, and abuse of office.

The prosecution emphasized that the offences occurred during Orya’s leadership of NEXIM and involved multiple acts of financial misconduct and fraudulent dealings.