West Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Cameroonian Armed Separatist Group 'Ambazonia Defense Forces'… Agrees to Terrorism Enhancement

CLARKSBURG, United States

A West Virginia man has pleaded guilty to charges of supporting an armed separatist group in Cameroon, Africa, for over three years that sought to carry out killings and kidnappings. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia Matthew L. Harvey announced on October 27 (local time) that Didimus Kimbi, 37, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support. Kimbi also went by the alias "Samba Ngala."

"We will not tolerate those who enjoy the freedoms and safety of America while committing acts of violence overseas," U.S. Attorney Harvey said. "This conviction should serve as a warning to all those who would seek to commit similar crimes. We will find you, investigate you, and bring you to justice."

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia posted news of Kimbi's guilty plea on its official X account on October 27, stating it was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

According to the Plea Agreement... Brokered Weapons After Receiving Photos and Prices, Drafted Operational Plans

According to the plea agreement, Kimbi supported a separatist group known as the "Ambazonia Defense Forces" (ADF) for more than three years. According to prosecutors, the ADF sought to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure people in Cameroon.

According to the agreement, Kimbi provided funds to the ADF and acted as an intermediary between ground commanders in the field and another individual who approved weapons purchases. Ground commanders sent Kimbi photographs of weapons and pricing information. Based on the information received from the ground commanders, Kimbi also drafted operational plans designed to cause casualties and delivered them to ADF leadership.

As part of the plea agreement, Kimbi agreed to a sentencing enhancement for a federal crime of terrorism. Prosecutors announced that this enhancement raises the anticipated sentencing range. Kimbi faces up to 15 years in prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Jarod J. Douglas, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Randolph Bernard, and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division (NSD). The investigation was conducted by the FBI Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, and Washington Field Offices. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided over the plea hearing.

In its press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia also referenced a separate press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota regarding another ADF case.

Indictment of Minnesota ADF Leadership... "Minnesota Is Not a Launching Pad for Overseas Violence"

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota announced on September 5, 2025, that a federal grand jury indicted naturalized U.S. citizens Benedict Nwana Kuah, 51, and Pascal Kikishy Wongbi, 52, on eight counts. According to the indictment, the two organized, directed, and funded kidnappings, bombings, and killings in their native country of Cameroon.

According to the indictment, the two are leaders of the ADF, an armed group seeking to establish a new nation called "Ambazonia" in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon. Kuah is the chairman of the ADF’s so-called "War Council," and Wongbi is the head of defense, logistics, and personnel for the War Council. According to prosecutors, they directed members to kidnap, bomb, and kill civilians, government officials, and Cameroonian security forces to coerce the Cameroonian government into recognizing their legitimacy. According to prosecutors, both individuals actively participated in planning, funding, and directing attacks intended to intimidate and coerce civilians and unlawfully influence the policies and actions of the Cameroonian government. According to the indictment, they directed and funded attacks and kidnappings in Cameroon since 2017, sending thousands of dollars to fighters to purchase weapons and ammunition.

Both men were charged with conspiracy to murder, kidnap, and maim in a foreign country, conspiracy to provide material support, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Kuah was additionally charged with three counts of providing material support, conspiracy to commit hostage taking, and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction outside the United States.

At the time, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division said, "The defendants allegedly used the United States as an operational base to fund and direct kidnappings, bombings, and murders in Cameroon. Their alleged conduct brought death, terror, and misery to innocent civilians. The Criminal Division will hold accountable those who propagate violence overseas while seeking refuge in the United States." Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson for the District of Minnesota said, "Minnesota is not a launching pad for overseas violence. From the comfort of their living rooms in Minnesota, these defendants unleashed violence and misery on the other side of the world. They directed kidnappings, bombings, and murders. Their crimes are an affront to U.S. law and basic human decency." He added, "Because of this indictment, Cameroon is a safer place."

Donald Holstead, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division, said, "The defendants allegedly planned, funded, and directed violent attacks targeting a market, an annual road race, and a Youth Day celebration, harming numerous civilians and government officials in Cameroon. While this violence occurred outside U.S. borders, this indictment makes clear that criminals cannot hide in the United States. The FBI will not tolerate violence and will work with our partners to ensure that those who participate in or direct criminal acts are held accountable." Alvin M. Winston Sr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office, said, "The ADF terrorized civilians and threatened the Cameroonian government through terror and coercion. The investigation revealed that Kuah and Wongbi directed and funded that death, destruction, and terror. These arrests demonstrate the power of FBI partnerships across the federal government and send a clear message that the United States will not serve as a safe haven for criminals." He added, "U.S. citizens who engage in kidnappings, bombings, and murders—whether inside or outside the United States—will be hunted down and brought to justice."

Kidnapping of Government Official, Attempted Governor Assassination, Road Race Bombing

According to the indictment, on April 30, 2022, ADF fighters kidnapped a civilian government official in Cameroon's Northwest Region. Wongbi advocated for immediately killing the official. Kuah later appeared in a video on the ADF's YouTube channel announcing that the kidnapped official had been "sentenced to death." According to the indictment, fighters forced the official to read a statement denouncing Cameroon and declaring loyalty to Ambazonia, and Kuah was involved in creating a propaganda video featuring this statement to demand the release of prisoners in exchange for the official's release. During his captivity, the conspirators accused the official of not supporting the separatist movement and instructed fighters not to release him until they ordered it. The official was rescued by the Cameroonian military after a month in captivity. Kuah later appeared in a propaganda video lamenting that the official had not been killed.

According to the indictment, in January 2023, Kuah and another leader planned and oversaw the so-called "Operation Rattlesnake" to assassinate a civilian governor of Cameroon's Northwest Region. The conspirators sent funds for the attack. Kuah reviewed photographs of the planned attack site and operational plans, directing fighters to manufacture and deploy improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Fighters planted the IEDs, and although the governor's motorcade altered its route, the attempt to assassinate the governor failed.

According to the indictment, in February 2023, an ADF leader instructed fighters to attack an annual road race in the Southwest Region, and fighters sent back photos of completed IEDs. On February 25, 2023, IEDs detonated at the "Mount Cameroon Race for Hope," an annual road race held in the Southwest Region, injuring 19 people. According to the indictment, Kuah sent funds for the attack from his personal bank account. On October 4, 2023, two unarmed civilians were murdered in the market square of the village of Guzang in the Northwest Region. According to the indictment, Kuah and Wongbi had previously repeatedly directed fighters to kill civilians believed to be collaborating with the Cameroonian government. Following the killings, an ADF spokesperson publicly confirmed that the two were killed because they provided intelligence to the Cameroonian military, and Wongbi appeared in a propaganda video warning that other collaborators would meet the same fate. On February 11, 2024, an IED detonated at a Youth Day celebration in Nkambe in the Northwest Region, injuring dozens of civilians—mostly children—and killing a 15-year-old girl. According to the indictment, Kuah distributed operational plans that included this attack and approved the purchase of dynamite, detonator cord, and remote-control devices.

Raising Weapons Funds Through 'The Takeover Fund' and 'Operation 200AKs'

According to the indictment, Kuah and Wongbi directly wired thousands of dollars to fighters in 2017 and 2018 to purchase attack supplies. Beginning in 2021, the two defendants began raising funds via social media. They collected donations to purchase weapons through a website called "The Takeover Fund." Kuah also appeared in social media videos soliciting donations to buy explosives. In October 2022, Kuah announced the launch of a new fundraising campaign, "Operation 200AKs," to arm fighters with AK-47 assault rifles. Numerous donations explicitly earmarked for the purchase of weapons and ammunition flowed into accounts controlled by the conspirators. The conspirators directed these funds to be sent to fighters in Cameroon, where they were often used to support specific operational attack plans.

Kuah and Wongbi face a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. Both were arrested in Minnesota on the morning of September 5, 2025, and made their initial court appearances that afternoon. Detention hearings were set for Kuah on September 10, 2025, and for Wongbi on September 11. The Minnesota case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Roso and Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Dittoe and Matthew Hracho of the National Security Division, Historian/Analyst Christopher Hayden of HRSP, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Sources (KST)

• U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of West Virginia Press Release, "West Virginia Man Admits to Role in Supporting Overseas Violence" (2026-10-27): https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/west-virginia-man-admits-role-supporting-overseas-violence
• U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota Press Release, "Defendants Indicted for Directing Kidnappings, Bombings, and Killings Overseas" (2025-09-05): https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/defendants-indicted-directing-kidnappings-bombings-and-killings-overseas
• Official X Post of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of West Virginia (2026-10-27): https://x.com/NDWVnews/status/2115191135098286345