The 10-year jail terms handed down on each of 49 fraud counts against former Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank) Managing Director, Robert Orya, will stand after the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed his challenge to the conviction.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in a statement published on its official Facebook page, said the appellate court on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, affirmed the February 5, 2026 judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, which convicted Orya over offences involving N2.4 billion.

Orya had been prosecuted by the EFCC after his arraignment in 2021 on 49 counts bordering on obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and advance fee fraud. The trial court found the prosecution’s case proved beyond reasonable doubt and convicted him on all the counts.

In dismissing the appeal, Justice Muhammed Danjuma, who led a three-member panel including Justices Ntong Festus Ntong and Ele Ejo Enenche, held that the grounds canvassed by Orya failed to establish any basis for overturning the trial court’s decision. The court consequently affirmed the judgment and dismissed the appeal as lacking merit.

Justice F.E. Messiri of the FCT High Court had sentenced Orya to 10 years imprisonment on each of the 49 counts, amounting to 490 years. However, the sentences are to run concurrently, meaning the total does not translate into 490 years to be served consecutively.

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