A federal court in the United States has sentenced a former senior official of Nigeria’s state oil company to more than seven years in prison for his role in a bribery scheme linked to oil drilling rights in Nigeria.
The defendant, Paulinus Okoronkwo, was handed an 87-month jail term by a US district judge in California after being found guilty of receiving $2.1 million in illegal payments connected to oil operations. He previously served as General Manager in the upstream division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, where he was responsible for overseeing partnerships with foreign oil firms.
According to US prosecutors, Okoronkwo accepted the funds while acting in his official capacity, breaching his duty to the Nigerian government. The money was allegedly paid to influence negotiations over favourable drilling terms for a subsidiary of Sinopec, through its Switzerland-based unit, Addax Petroleum.
Court records show that in 2015, Addax transferred the funds into a client trust account linked to Okoronkwo’s Los Angeles law firm, claiming the payment was for consultancy services.
US authorities said the arrangement was designed to conceal a bribe and make the transaction appear like legitimate legal fees. Investigators noted that documents used in the deal contained false details, including a non-existent Nigerian address.
A jury convicted Okoronkwo in August 2025 on multiple charges, including money laundering, tax evasion and obstruction of justice. Evidence presented at trial showed that he moved the funds through a private company and spent the money on personal expenses, including property purchases, vehicles and family costs. Prosecutors also said he failed to declare the income in his tax filings and later gave misleading statements to federal investigators.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Okoronkwo to pay $923,824 in restitution to the US tax authorities and to forfeit over $1 million traced to assets bought with the proceeds of the bribe. His licence to practise law in California was suspended earlier this year.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service, with support from the US Department of Justice. Prosecutors said the case highlights ongoing efforts to hold public officials accountable for corruption tied to international oil and gas deals.
