The Appeal Court in Abuja has confirmed the 490 year jail term given to former NEXIM Bank chief Robert Orya for a N2.4 billion fraud.
Judges at the Court of Appeal in Abuja have agreed that a former big boss of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank, known as NEXIM Bank, must remain in prison for stealing large sums of money.
The former bank leader, named Robert Orya, was sentenced to prison after he took two point four billion Naira that did not belong to him.
The decision was made on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, when three appellate judges looked at the case and said the earlier judgment given by the lower court was completely correct.
Robert Orya served as the main leader of NEXIM Bank from 2009 to 2016 before anti graft officers arrested him.
The reason why the higher court threw away the appeal submitted by Robert Orya is that he committed serious financial crimes while holding a public trust position.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, also called the EFCC, dragged him to court in 2021 after finding out he wrote fake documents and lied to collect big money unlawfully.
In February 2026, a High Court judge in Abuja found him guilty on 49 different counts of fraud and gave him ten years in jail for each count, making four hundred and ninety years in total.
Orya complained to the higher court to save him, but the higher judges said he truly committed the crimes and must face the law.
Giving the final judgment for the three judges, Justice Muhammed Danjuma said that the appeal brought by the former bank boss was empty and had no point.
Explaining why the court rejected the appeal, the judge stated clearly that all the arguments brought by the convict failed completely.
Throwing out the case, Justice Muhammed Danjuma stated that “I looked at each and every issue and in my final analysis, all the issues formulated for the determination of this appeal are resolved in favor of the respondent and against the appellant”.
Showing that the law will not change its mind on the punishment, the judge concluded that “this appeal is devoid of any merit and is hereby dismissed”. Even though the total years added up to 490 years, the judge ordered the sentences to run at the same time.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
