Two iconic paintings — one by Pablo Picasso and the other by Andy Warhol — are set to be sold following their seizure from a wealthy Lebanese art collector identified as a key Hezbollah financier, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Picasso and Warhol works to be auctioned; proceeds redirected to UK policing
The artwork was confiscated in 2023 from Nazem Ahmad, who has been sanctioned by both US and UK authorities for allegedly funnelling money to the proscribed Lebanese group. Hezbollah has been designated as a terrorist organisation in the UK since 2019.
Scotland Yard confirmed that the art seized from a Hezbollah financier will be sold, with the revenue reinvested into law enforcement and justice agencies, including the Metropolitan Police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and the Home Office.
- The paintings were discovered in two UK warehouses
- One work each by Picasso and Warhol
- Valued at nearly £1 million collectively
- Seized under a warrant obtained in May 2023
A forfeiture order was later granted by the National Terrorist Financing Investigation Unit, paving the way for the sale of the artworks.
Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, an art expert familiar to BBC audiences from shows like Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip, has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. He was convicted of eight offences under section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000 for failing to report the sale of artworks to Mr Ahmad.
Ojiri, who operates from Brent, North-West London, sold art worth around £140,000 to Mr Ahmad. He was arrested in Wrexham on 18 April 2023, coinciding with the UK Government’s announcement of sanctions against the Lebanese collector.
Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said: “It is clear that Oghenochuko Ojiri was aware of new money laundering regulations in the art world and that he had knowledge of Nazem Ahmad’s background.
Ojiri engaged in activity designed to conceal the identity of the true purchaser by changing the details on invoices and storing Mr Ahmad’s name under a different alias in his mobile phone.”
She added that Ojiri’s motivations appeared both financial and reputational.
Notably, a full set of Warhol’s Flowers was auctioned on 19 April 2023 for $2.3 million (£1.7 million), according to Christie’s website. It is unclear if this specific sale was linked to Mr Ahmad’s collection, though it underscores the high value of the artworks involved.
Ojiri has built a public profile through appearances on the BBC and his reputation in the contemporary art scene. In a previous interview with the BBC, he described himself as: “Absolutely obsessed” with collecting contemporary art.
Known for promoting both African and European contemporary artists, Ojiri also worked as an auctioneer prior to his conviction.
This development highlights the UK’s firm stance on cutting off terrorist financing through high-value assets like fine art. The art seized from the Hezbollah financier will now be repurposed – not to fund conflict, but to support justice.
