By Joe Udo
ABUJA (CONVERSEER) – A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has sentenced former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank, Robert Orya, to 490 years in prison for defrauding the bank of 2.4 billion Naira.
Justice F.E. Messiri gave the order on Thursday, having convicted the defendant on 49 counts.
Orya, who led NEXIM from 2011 to 2016, was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The arraignment commenced in 2021.
Count one of the charges read: “That you Mr Roberts Orya while being the Managing Director of Nigerian Export- Import Bank(NEXIM BANK) on or about the 21st day of September 2011 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud induced Nigerian Export-lmport Bank to pay to Treasuremix Contruction Limited the sum of Four Hundred and Eighty Eight Million Naira (N488,000,000) as loan under the pretence that the Directors of Luxurium Leisure Services Limited applied for and are the beneficiaries of the said loan which pretence you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Count two reads: “That you Mr Roberts Orya while being the Managing Director of Nigerian Export- Import Bank (NEXIM BANK) on or about the 19th February 2013 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud induced Nigerian Export-Import Bank to pay to Treasuremix Construction Limited the sum of Six Hundred and Thirty Million Naira (N630,000,000) as loan under the pretence that the Directors of Luxurium Leisure Services Limited applied for and are the beneficiaries of the said loan, which pretence you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (b) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related And Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, thus setting the stage for his trial. Prosecution counsel, Samuel Ugwuebulam in the course of the trial called seven witnesses whose testimonies strongly established the defendant’s guilt.
Justice Messiri in his judgment held that the prosecution proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt and found the defendant guilty as charged on all 49 counts and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment on each, totalling 490 years. The sentences, however, are to run concurrently.
The EFCC described the conviction as a major victory in its ongoing fight against corruption, emphasising that public officials will be held accountable for the mismanagement and embezzlement of public funds.
Orya’s prosecution follows several high-profile cases of financial misconduct in Nigeria’s banking and public sectors, reinforcing the message that no one is above the law.
Converseer reports that the convict served as the managing director of NEXIM Bank between 2009 and 2016. He was appointed to the position on August 14, 2009, by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and reappointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan on August 18, 2014.
