British-Nigerian Art Dealer, ‘Ochuko’ Ojiri, Pleads Guilty To Terrorism Financing In UK

British-Nigerian art expert and television personality, Oghenochuko ‘Ochuko’ Ojiri, has pleaded guilty to terrorism financing offences linked to high-value art sales involving a sanctioned individual accused of supporting Hezbollah.

Ojiri, 53, a former guest expert on the BBC programme ‘Bargain Hunt’, admitted to eight counts of failing to disclose suspicious activity under the Terrorism Act 2000.

According to BBC, the charges stemmed from a series of transactions between October 2020 and December 2021, during which Ojiri sold artwork worth £140,000 to Nazem Ahmad, a man sanctioned by the United States in 2019 and by the United Kingdom’s government in 2023 for alleged ties to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The case, heard at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, marked the first-ever prosecution of its kind under terrorism financing legislation in the UK.

“There is one discussion where Ojiri is party to a conversation where it is apparent a lot of people have known for years about [Ahmad’s] terrorism links,” said prosecutor Lyndon Harris during court proceedings. He added that while Ojiri’s gallery, Ramp Gallery (now operating as Ojiri Gallery), had hired a third party to provide compliance advice, “the advice was not properly acted on.”

Ojiri is said to have dealt directly with Ahmad, conducting negotiations and personally congratulating him on his purchases. His failure to report these transactions despite Ahmad’s well-documented status on sanctions lists led to a probe by the Metropolitan Police’s specialist arts and antiques unit, with support from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

UK authorities have previously highlighted Ahmad’s extensive dealings in the British art market, noting that he maintained “an extensive art collection in the UK” and conducted business with “multiple UK-based artists, art galleries, and auction houses.”

Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political and militant group based in Lebanon and backed by Iran, is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in both the UK and the US.

Ojiri, who has not appeared on Bargain Hunt since 2023, had remained listed on the programme’s website as one of its experts. In a statement, a BBC spokesperson said: “It would not be appropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings,”clarifying that Ojiri is not a BBC employee.

During the hearing, District Judge Briony Clarke granted Ojiri bail on the condition that he surrender his passport. His barrister, Gavin Irwin, told the court that his client was not considered a flight risk.

Ojiri is scheduled to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on June 6.