British-Nigerian art dealer and former BBC presenter Ogeneochuko Ojiri has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison after selling high-value artworks to a suspected Hezbollah financier.
Ojiri, 53, admitted to selling around £140,000 worth of art to Nazem Ahmad, despite being aware of Ahmad’s alleged connections to the terrorist group.
He became the first person to be convicted under Section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000 for failing to report suspicious transactions that could help prevent terrorism financing.
The British-Nigerian, who once appeared on Antiques Road Trip, pleaded guilty to eight counts of failing to disclose key financial dealings with Ahmad, a man sanctioned by the UK and suspected of financing Hezbollah. Prosecutors said the art dealer knowingly hid the transactions, altered sales records, and even saved Ahmad’s contact under a false name on his phone.
Motivated by greed and a desire to raise the profile of his Shoreditch-based Ojiri Gallery, the dealer reportedly valued business growth over ethical and legal responsibilities. “You knew it was your duty to alert the authorities,” said Justice Cheema-Grubb at the Old Bailey. “But you elected to balance the financial profit and commercial success of your business against Ahmad’s dark side.”
The art dealer’s arrest in Wrexham on 18 April 2023 came while he was filming a BBC programme. His lawyer, Kevin Irwin, said his client’s “humiliation is complete.” Alongside the sentencing, he received an additional one year on extended licence.
Coinciding with Ojiri’s arrest, the UK government imposed new sanctions against Ahmad. Authorities also seized artwork from two UK storage sites, including pieces by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, with a total estimated value nearing £1 million.
