Nigerian-British Art Dealer, Ochuko Ojiri Faces Terrorism Charge In UK

A Nigerian-British art dealer, Oghenochuko ‘Ochuko’ Ojiri, has been charged in the United Kingdom following a police investigation into terrorism financing.

The 53-year-old, known for his appearances on BBC shows like “Bargain Hunt” and “Antiques Road Trip”, is accused of failing to report suspicious activity in the art world linked to terrorism.

Ochuko Ojiri was arrested two years ago by the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit, part of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command. He is set to appear in Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.

Police say his arrest is connected to a wider investigation involving Nazem Ahmad, a wealthy art and diamond dealer with Belgian and Lebanese citizenship.

Ahmad is under US and UK sanctions over claims that he helped fund Hezbollah, an organisation the UK considers a terrorist group.

According to the charges, Ojiri failed to report potential terrorist financing activity while working in the regulated art sector.

The alleged offences took place between October 2020 and December 2021.

Authorities say this is the first time someone has been charged under this specific section of the Terrorism Act 2000 for failure to disclose within the art sector.

Ahmad’s name first surfaced in 2019 when the US Treasury accused him of laundering large sums of money and being involved in trafficking conflict diamonds—also known as “blood diamonds”—for Hezbollah.

He was later sanctioned and, in April 2024, charged by the US government along with eight others for violating sanctions.

During the investigation, police seized nearly two dozen high-value artworks from a secure storage facility near Heathrow Airport.

These works, including pieces by Picasso and Andy Warhol, were worth close to £1 million and are believed to have been part of Ahmad’s plan to finance Hezbollah.

Additional art pieces were also confiscated from a London auction house.

Ahmad faces several serious charges, including fraud, sanctions evasion, and money laundering. UK authorities have said he owned a large art collection in Britain and did business with a number of local galleries and artists.

US officials are actively seeking to bring Ahmad to justice and have offered a $10 million reward for information that could lead to his arrest. They believe he is currently in Beirut.

KanyiDaily recalls that the UK government is planning to tighten its immigration rules, especially for Nigeria and countries whose citizens often overstay their visas.