By Parrot Newspaper 
British-Nigerian Art Dealer Imprisoned in Terror Finance Case
London — Parrot Newspaper Investigations | June 7, 2025
In a precedent-setting verdict, British-Nigerian art dealer Ogeneochuko Ojiri has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison after a UK court found him guilty of concealing a trail of high-value art transactions linked to Nazem Ahmad, a man blacklisted for allegedly financing the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Ojiri, 53, known for his past appearance on the BBC’s Antiques Road Trip, became the first individual convicted under Section 21A of the UK Terrorism Act 2000, which criminalizes the failure to disclose information that could assist in preventing terrorist financing.
Terror Finance
According to prosecutors at the Old Bailey, Ojiri deliberately masked his dealings with Ahmad, selling artworks valued at £140,000 while concealing the buyer’s identity and financial trail from authorities. His actions, they argued, were part of a calculated effort to profit while boosting the credibility of his East London-based business, Ojiri Gallery, through ties with a wealthy—if controversial—collector.
Greed, Art, and Allegiances
Documents presented in court revealed that Ojiri used coded entries and aliases to obscure Ahmad’s identity, manipulating invoices to mask the true nature of the transactions. Investigators discovered that he stored Ahmad’s contact under a false name in his phone—a move prosecutors called a “deliberate act of concealment.”
“This was not a case of ignorance or carelessness,” said a senior Crown Prosecutor familiar with the case. “Mr. Ojiri was fully aware of Ahmad’s status and the risk associated with doing business with someone linked to a proscribed terrorist group.”
Legal analysts say the conviction signals a tightening net around financial enablers of terrorism in sectors previously seen as loosely regulated—such as the international art market, where anonymity and high-value cash flows often thrive unchecked.
Art as a Financial Laundromat
Art is increasingly scrutinized by international watchdogs as a vehicle for money laundering and terror finance. The case underscores the UK’s growing concern that artworks—especially high-value pieces—may be exploited as portable assets to evade sanctions and fund extremist activities.
Among the artworks sold to Ahmad and later seized by authorities were pieces by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, stored in two undisclosed UK warehouses and estimated to be worth nearly £1 million.
The day of Ojiri’s arrest—April 18, 2023—coincided with UK government sanctions slapped on Ahmad, who had already been blacklisted by the US Treasury for allegedly serving as a key financier and arms broker for Hezbollah.
Authorities believe Ojiri’s transactions may have helped Ahmad circumvent global sanctions, enabling him to maintain access to Western art markets even after being banned from formal financial systems.
A Judge’s Rebuke
During sentencing, Justice Cheema-Grubb condemned Ojiri’s actions as “driven by greed” and delivered a scathing rebuke:
> “You knew it was your duty to alert the authorities, but you elected to balance financial profit and commercial success against Ahmad’s dark side.”
The court imposed a 30-month custodial sentence, with an additional 12 months on extended license, meaning Ojiri will remain under post-release supervision for one year.
Ojiri’s defense counsel, Kevin Irwin, described the conviction as a “complete humiliation” for a man who once enjoyed a degree of celebrity in the UK art scene. He was arrested while filming another segment for the BBC in Wrexham, further intensifying the public spectacle surrounding the case.
Implications and Unanswered Questions
This case has ignited debate within the UK art world and beyond: What safeguards currently exist to prevent art dealers from becoming conduits for illicit finance? Were other players involved in similar transactions that have not yet come to light? And just how deep does Hezbollah’s footprint run in global financial markets?
Counterterrorism officials hint that this is likely not an isolated case, suggesting more prosecutions could follow as UK authorities probe art networks used to launder dirty money.
Terror Finance
Meanwhile, Ojiri’s gallery has reportedly shuttered its Shoreditch location, and experts anticipate a crackdown on galleries and dealers that operate without rigorous due diligence standards.