Top ex-NNPCL official, Paulinus Okoronkwo, faces 25 years in US prison over $2.1m bribery scandal
A former senior official at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo, has been convicted in the United States for his role in a $2.1 million bribery scandal.
The case, which involves oil deals with Addax Petroleum, a Swiss company, could see Okoronkwo sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison.
According to a statement from the US Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California, Okoronkwo, a 58-year-old lawyer, was found guilty of three counts of transactional money laundering, one count of tax evasion, and one count of obstruction of justice. His sentencing is scheduled for December 1, 2025.
The Bribery and Cover-up
Court documents reveal that in October 2015, Okoronkwo received $2,105,263 into his law firm’s account from Addax Petroleum. The payment was disguised as “consultancy fees” for negotiating a settlement agreement with the NNPC regarding Addax’s drilling rights in Nigeria.
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However, US prosecutors argued that the “consultancy” was a “ruse to disguise a bribe.”
The engagement letter between Addax and Okoronkwo’s firm, which included a fake Lagos address, was described as an attempt to “cover up the illicit transaction.” The Department of Justice (DoJ) stated that the payment was made in exchange for Okoronkwo’s influence in securing favorable oil agreements in Nigeria.
In addition to the bribery charges, Okoronkwo was also convicted of deliberately omitting the $2.1 million from his 2015 federal income tax return, which constituted tax evasion.
He was also found guilty of obstructing justice for allegedly attempting to mislead investigators and conceal the source of the funds. The DoJ said his actions were part of an “orchestrated financial crime that undermined both Nigerian and US anti-corruption laws.”
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A History of Controversy
Okoronkwo’s legal troubles in the US began in January 2024 when a federal grand jury indicted him on the five counts. His history of involvement in questionable oil deals in Nigeria had already led to his dismissal from the NNPC.
Bashir Ahmad, a former aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, disclosed in a May 2024 tweet that Okoronkwo was a general manager in the upstream department of the NNPC.
According to Ahmad, Okoronkwo was part of a team that, on May 25, 2015, just before former President Goodluck Jonathan left office, finalised a controversial agreement with Addax Petroleum that reportedly cost Nigeria $2.4 billion.
Okoronkwo’s conviction highlights the increasing scrutiny of corrupt deals made during the final days of the Jonathan administration.
If he receives the maximum sentence, this case will close a significant chapter on one of the most high-profile cases connecting Nigeria’s oil industry to international bribery.
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