British-Nigerian art dealer Ogeneochuko Ojiri has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for concealing high-value art transactions involving Nazem Ahmad, a man accused of financing the terrorist group Hezbollah.
Ojiri, 53, who once featured on the BBC programme Antiques Road Trip, admitted to selling artworks worth approximately £140,000 to Ahmad.
He was aware of Ahmad’s alleged ties to the proscribed organisation but failed to report the transactions, as required under anti-terrorism laws.
He pleaded guilty to eight counts under the Terrorism Act 2000 for not disclosing suspicious activity during his business operations.
Notably, he is the first person to be prosecuted under Section 21A of the Act, which criminalises the failure to report information that could help prevent terrorism financing.
Prosecutors said Ojiri knowingly concealed the transactions, falsified invoices, and saved Ahmad’s contact details under a false name in his phone.
His motivation, they argued, was to profit financially and enhance the reputation of his Shoreditch-based business, Ojiri Gallery, by associating with a prominent collector.
Delivering the sentence at the Old Bailey, Justice Cheema-Grubb condemned Ojiri’s actions: “You knew it was your duty to alert the authorities, but you chose instead to prioritise personal gain and business success over the risks posed by Ahmad’s associations.”
In addition to the prison term, Ojiri was handed an extra year on extended licence.
According to his lawyer, Kevin Irwin, Ojiri was arrested on April 18, 2023, in Wrexham while filming a BBC show.
Irwin added that the public exposure of the case had brought significant personal and professional humiliation to his client.
On the day of Ojiri’s arrest, the UK government imposed sanctions on Ahmad.
Authorities also seized artwork stored in two UK warehouses—including pieces by Picasso and Warhol—worth nearly £1 million.