2 Men Indicted in Overseas Bombings, Murders

Sep 6

Two men have been indicted on a slew of federal charges, accusing them of directing kidnappings, bombings and killings overseas while living in Minnesota.

According to federal prosecutors, 51-year-old Benedict Nwana Kuah and 52-year-old Pascal Kikishy Wongbi are accused of leading operations for the Ambazonia Defense Forces, an armed separatist group in Cameroon.

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A grand jury returned an eight-count indictment alleging that the men organized, financed and directed violent attacks from Minnesota that targeted civilians, government officials and security forces in Cameroon.

Kuah, identified as the chairman of the group’s “War Council,” and Wongbi—described as its head of defense and logistics—allegedly instructed fighters to carry out kidnappings, use improvised explosive devices and kill people they believed opposed their movement. Prosecutors say the attacks were meant to coerce the Cameroonian government into recognizing Ambazonia, a proposed breakaway state.

Federal authorities outlined several incidents linked to the men. In April 2022, fighters kidnapped a government official who was later forced to appear in a propaganda video. Kuah reportedly announced that the official had been “condemned to death,” though Cameroonian forces ultimately rescued her after a month in captivity. In Jan. 2023, Kuah was involved in planning “Operation Rattlesnake,” a failed attempt to assassinate the governor of Cameroon’s Northwest Region with explosives. Weeks later, prosecutors say Kuah financed an IED attack on the Mount Cameroon Race for Hope, which injured 19 people.

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Authorities also allege the men ordered and financed the killings of two unarmed civilians in Guzang in Oct. 2023, accusing them of collaborating with Cameroonian security forces. Then in Feb. 2024, an IED detonated during a Youth Day celebration in Nkambe killed a 15-year-old girl and injured dozens of children and other civilians. Prosecutors say Kuah approved the purchase of explosives used in the attack and distributed an operational plan that included the Youth Day bombing.

Investigators detailed how the men raised money for weapons and explosives. Between 2017 and 2018, Kuah and Wongbi allegedly sent thousands of dollars directly to fighters. By 2021, they had launched online fundraising campaigns, including “The Takeover Fund” and “Operation 200 AKs,” to buy rifles and ammunition. Many donations were earmarked specifically for weapons, court documents say. Prosecutors say Kuah appeared in multiple online videos requesting funds and later directing where the money should be sent.

The indictment charges both men with conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim and injure people abroad, conspiracy to provide material support and conspiracy to launder money. Kuah faces additional charges of providing material support, conspiracy to commit hostage taking and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction outside the United States.

Kuah and Wongbi were arrested in Minnesota on Friday morning and made their first appearances in federal court that afternoon. They remain in custody ahead of detention hearings scheduled for Sept. 10 and 11. If convicted, they face up to life in prison.

The FBI led the investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota and the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are handling the case.

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