Anglophone crisis:
U.S court charges Cameroonian-born lady for illegal sale, export of arms

Edith Ngang, has been indicted for trafficking arms illegally by the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland.

The lady charged with two counts, the attorney revealed, which all concern exporting arms without a license

From around “November, 2017, and continuing until at least July 19, 2019, in the District of Maryland and elsewhere,” Edith Ngang, the Attorney charges, “did knowingly and willfully combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with others, known and unknown to the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, to commit certain offenses against the United States”.

“It was the object of the conspiracy that Ngang and her co-conspirators would obtain defense articles, such as firearms and ammunition, and other items with military applications, such as desert boots and water packs, in the United States, conceal them in overseas shipping containers in order to secretly export the items to Nigeria without obtaining a license or disclosing the true contents of the shipments to the overseas carrier or to United States government authorities, and to evade or violate the regulations, prohibitions, and licensing requirements of the AECA, ECRA, and IEEPA,” the Attorney alleged further.

In her second count said to range from November 2019, the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland alleged that she “… did knowingly and willfully export, cause to be exported, and attempt to export from the United States to Nigeria, certain items, that is: 39 firearms of various makes, models and calibers; 45 magazines of various makes, models and calibers; and at least 39,000 rounds of ammunition of various makes, models and calibers, which were all defense articles included on the United States Munitions List, without having first obtained from the Department of State a license or written authorization for such export”.

If convicted for both charges, Ngang is expected to forfeit “… any property, real or personal, which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to the offenses, or which was involved in such offenses or any property traceable to such property”.

The charges against Ngang became know at about the same time the U.S announced visa restrictions on persons working against peace in Cameroon’s troubled Anglophone regions.

It also follows allegations that separatist fighters have been using firearms and weapons coming into the country through neighboring Nigeria.

The accused has however not been directly mentioned in any of both instances.

Mimi Mefo Info