U.S. Court Orders Forfeiture of $1m California Mansion Linked to Ex-NNPC GM Over $2.1m Bribery Scandal


A United States District Court has ordered the interim forfeiture of a California property belonging to Paulinus Okoronkwo, a Nigerian-American and former General Manager at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), after finding him guilty of financial crimes linked to a $2.1 million bribe.

According to The Cable, Okoronkwo was convicted in September of transactional money laundering, tax evasion,and obstruction of justice following a high-profile investigation into illicit payments from Addax Petroleum, a Swiss subsidiary of China’s state-owned Sinopec.

Prosecutors revealed that while serving as General Manager of NNPC’s upstream division, Okoronkwo received $2.1 million in October 2015, which was transferred to his law firm’s trust account in Los Angeles. The funds were allegedly disguised as consultancy fees, but investigations later uncovered they were kickbacks for securing favourable drilling rights in Nigeria.

Court documents showed that Addax Petroleum executives falsified company records to conceal the payment, dismissed employees who raised concerns, and misled auditors during internal reviews.

After relocating to the United States, Okoronkwo practised law in Los Angeles, specialising in immigration, family, and personal injury cases. Prosecutors said he used nearly $1 million from the bribe to make a down payment on a property located at 25340 Twin Oaks Place, Valencia, California — a luxurious home now forfeited to the U.S. government.

On October 3, 2025Judge John Walter approved the U.S. government’s request for the forfeiture, ruling that the property was directly linked to Okoronkwo’s offences under 18 U.S.C. § 1957 (transactional money laundering).

“For the reasons set out below, any right, title, and interest of the defendant in the described property is hereby forfeited to the United States,” the court order stated.

The ruling authorises the U.S. Attorney General to seize and sell the property, with proceeds retained by the government.

Authorities also published a public notice inviting any individual or entity with legal claims on the property to file within 60 days.

The forfeited asset was described as:

“Tract Number 45433, Lot 12, with Assessor’s Parcel Number 2826-143-004 (Consolidated Asset Identification System Number 24-FBI-001775).”

Okoronkwo’s sentencing has been scheduled for December 1, 2025, where he faces heavy fines and possible jail timefor money laundering, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice.

The case marks another significant milestone in the U.S. Justice Department’s crackdown on foreign corruption and illicit financial flows involving former Nigerian officials.

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