Ex-NNPC official sentenced in US for bribery and money laundering
A former Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited official, Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo, has been sentenced to prison in the United States after being found guilty of accepting a multi-million dollar bribe from a Swiss oil company. The case involved allegations of money laundering, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice. Okoronkwo also practised law in Los Angeles while serving as an NNPC executive. The court ordered him to pay restitution and forfeit proceeds linked to the crime.
What happened
- Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo was sentenced to 87 months in prison for accepting a $2.1 million bribe while at NNPC.
- The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge John F. Walter following a four-day trial in August 2025.
- Okoronkwo was ordered to pay $923,824 in restitution and forfeit $1,039,997 from the sale of a property tied to the bribe.
- He was indicted by the US Attorney’s Office in January 2024 and suspended by the State Bar of California in January 2026.
- The bribe was paid by Addax Petroleum in October 2015 and allegedly disguised as consultancy fees for drilling rights negotiations.
