US arrests two for masterminding atrocities in NW, SW.

The duo was arrested in the State of Minnesota. According to a statement which the United States Department of Justice issued, Kuah and Kikishy were arrested after a Federal Grand Jury in Minnesota indicted them on eight counts.

They are accused of funding and aiding killings, bombings in the North West and South West Regions. They are expected to appear in court this week to begin answering for their alleged crimes.

If convicted, they could be sentenced to life. Kuah and Kikishy are charged among other things with “…conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad, conspiracy to provide material support or resources, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments”.

Kuah in particular is further charged with “…conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction outside the United States”.

According to the State Department, Kuah and Kikishy held senior roles within the Ambazonia Defense Forces, ADF. 

According to the report the accused allegedly raised money which was used to buy weapons and directed co-conspirators in Cameroon to cause mayhem.

US judiciary talks tough 

Acting Assistant Attorney General, Matthew R. Galeotti, of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, is quoted as having said, Kuah and Kikishy “…are charged with using the United States as a base of operations to finance and direct kidnappings, bombings, and killings in Cameroon”.

The same official is further quoted to have underscored that: “Their alleged conduct caused death, terror, and suffering among innocent civilians”, before insisting that: “The Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those who seek refuge in the United States while spreading violence abroad”.

Commenting on the same issue, the Acting US Attorney for the District of Minnesota, Joseph Thompson is said to have thundered that: “Minnesota is not a launchpad for overseas violence”.

Thompson, is said to have opined that Kuah and Kikishy while “…operating from the comfort of their living rooms in Minnesota… caused violence and suffering half a world away”.

The Acting US Attorney for the District of Minnesota, the statement divulging the arrests, noted, insisted that the defendants’ “crimes are an affront to both American law and basic human decency. Cameroon is a safer place because of this prosecution”. 

On his part, the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, Donald Holstead, reportedly further detailed that the duo, “…were allegedly involved in planning, financing and directing violent attacks that harmed numerous civilians and government officials in the Republic of Cameroon, with targets including a market, an annual footrace, and a Youth Day celebration”.

Holstead insisted that the charges brought against the two US citizens of Cameroonian origin “…should underscore that criminal actors cannot hide in the United States” 

The FBI, he is said to have further noted, “…does not condone violence and will work with our partners to ensure those who engage in, or direct criminal acts are held accountable for their actions”. 

The chips are down 

Revealing the thoroughness of the charges retained against Kuah and Kikishy, the report indicated that they started funding atrocities in the North West and South West Regions in 2017. The statement indicated they sent thousands of dollars back home all these years to fund the excesses. 

On specifics, the US justice department said, as recent as 2023, Kuah planned the planting of Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, targeting one of the governors of the two Regions. He is also accused of financing “a bombing” during the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, which left 19 persons injured.

Kuah the reports hold, approved funding and planning the attack on February 11, 2024 Youth Day celebrations in Nkambe. 

The attack, the release from the US Justice Department indicated, claimed the life of a 15-year-old while dozens of others were injured.

He is also said to have appointed a self-styled commander who murdered two civilians. His co-accused, Kikishy, is said to have engaged propaganda videos promising more of similar atrocities. 

Kuah and Kikishy, are said to have jointly staged online sessions raising money to fund schemes such as “The Takeover Fund” and “Operation 200AKs”. Then, they are said to have promised that the money would be used to buy AK-47 rifles, explosives and ammunitions. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3558 of Monday September 08, 2025