U.S. Court Sentences Former NNPC Executive Okoronkwo to Over Seven Years for Bribery
- Feb 25
- 1 min read
A federal court in the United States has sentenced former Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) executive Paulinus Okoronkwo to seven years and three months in prison for accepting a $2.1 million bribe linked to oil drilling contracts.
Okoronkwo, 58, was found guilty of manipulating terms in favor of a Chinese-owned oil subsidiary. He had previously surrendered a $2.5 million Los Angeles property to U.S. authorities and is also required to pay nearly $924,000 in restitution, along with forfeiting additional funds connected to the bribe.
Investigators revealed that in 2015, the Swiss-based Addax Petroleum transferred the payment to Okoronkwo’s law firm account under the guise of consultancy fees, aiming to secure profitable drilling rights in Nigeria. Authorities said the payment was disguised through false invoicing and other accounting manipulations.
Funds from the bribe were later used by Okoronkwo to cover personal expenses, including property purchases and family costs. He also failed to declare the amount in his 2015 tax filings and misled federal investigators regarding the origin and use of the money.
Okoronkwo, a dual U.S.-Nigerian citizen, formerly led NNPC’s upstream division. His law license in California was suspended earlier this year following the corruption findings.
The case highlights ongoing U.S. enforcement against international bribery involving Nigerian officials and multinational companies, emphasizing that financial misconduct abroad carries severe legal consequences.
The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge John F. Walter, marking a significant development in transnational anti-corruption efforts targeting high-profile executives.
Okoronkwo is expected to begin serving his prison term immediately, with federal authorities overseeing the restitution and asset forfeiture process.
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