A United States District Court has fixed December 1, 2025 for hearing of sentencing in alleged $2.1m bribery case involving a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), now NNPC Limited, Barr. Paulinus Okoronkwo.
Okoronkwo, a Nigerian-American
risks being thrown into prison to do time just as he also faces more financial penalties from the United States authorities depending on the outcome of the sentence hearing in December.
The American District Court had earlier ordered the interim forfeiture of a California property linked to Okoronkwo after discovering that he acquired it with proceeds of bribery.
In a ruling issued by Judge John Walter on October 3, the court ordered the interim forfeiture after the ex – NNPC boss’ September conviction on charges of transactional money laundering, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors alleged that Okoronkwo received a $2.1 million bribe from Addax Petroleum, a Switzerland-based subsidiary of China’s state-owned Sinopec, in exchange for granting favourable drilling rights in Nigeria during his time at NNPC, according to the BusinessDay’s report.
U.S. court documents claimed the payment made in October 2015 was wired to Okoronkwo’s law firm trust account in Los Angeles and disguised as consultancy fees but investigations revealed the funds were bribes facilitated by Addax executives who allegedly falsified records, misled auditors, and dismissed staff who demanded explanation about the transaction.
Prosecutors further told the court that Okoronkwo, who practiced immigration, family, and personal injury law in Koreatown, Los Angeles, used nearly $1 million of the illicit funds as a down payment on a luxury home in Valencia, California. He also failed to declare the income in his 2015 tax returns, violating U.S. tax laws.
The forfeiture order covers the property located at 25340 Twin Oaks Place, Valencia, California 91381, described as Tract Number 45433, Lot 12, with Assessor’s Parcel Number 2826-143-004. The court found a “clear nexus” between the property and the crimes listed in Counts 1 through 3 of the indictment, which involved money laundering in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1957.
In its judgment, the court ruled that “any right, title, and interest of the defendant” in the Valencia property “is hereby forfeited to the United States.” It also authorized the U.S. Attorney General or a designee to seize the property pursuant to federal forfeiture laws.
The U.S. government has since published a public notice calling on any individual with a legitimate claim or interest in the property to file a petition within 60 days of the announcement.
The case has drawn attention in both Nigeria and the U.S., spotlighting renewed international efforts to combat corruption in the oil and gas sector and trace illicit financial flows across borders.
If upheld, the forfeiture will mark another major U.S. enforcement action targeting foreign bribery linked to Nigeria’s oil industry an ongoing challenge for authorities seeking to recover assets looted through corporate and political corruption.
– BusinessDay
