Nigerian professor charged for allegedly blowing $200K grant on strippers

A Nigerian professor who allegedly blew $200,000 grant money on strippers has been charged with theft after he spent the money on adult entertainment and other personal expenses.

Prosecutors last week charged - Chikaodinaka Nwankpa — the one-time head of Drexel University’s electrical engineering department with felony counts of unlawful taking and theft by deception, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.

The New York Post reports that the 57-year-old former professor allegedly abused grant money from the Navy, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation over a period of 10 years.

He squandered around $96,000 in federal grant funds at adult entertainment venues and sports bars between 2010 and 2017, officials allege. He also blew threw another $89,000 on iTunes purchases and meals.

The university revealed the alleged fraud last October, claiming it had only discovered the spending spree during a 2017 audit.

Nwankpa allegedly admitted to the unauthorized expenses when confronted by school officials and resigned from the college. He also gave around $53,00 to the university, which paid $189,000 to resolve potential civil liability in the case.

He was arrested by university police last week and released on $25,000 bail. If convicted, he faces up to 14 years in prison.