SHOCKER! US Ambassador hosts Miyetti Allah amidst Benue massacres; Nigerians kick

Amidst the recent massacres in Benue State by Fulani herdsmen, the Ambassador of the United States to Nigeria, Mr. Richard M. Mills Jr., on Monday, played host to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).

Mr. Mills said the purpose of the visit was to hear about the concerns of herder communities.

According to him, the meeting included discussion of the causes of insecurity and opportunities to peacefully resolve conflict.

Recently, the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) reported that more than 50 communities across five local government areas in the state were displaced by heavily armed herdsmen unleashing violent attacks on hapless residents.

These attacks led to the destruction of homes and properties, forcing many residents to flee their ancestral lands.

The displaced individuals are currently taking shelter in 13 official internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across the state.

The people of Benue, particularly those affected by these attacks, are calling for lasting solutions.

They say they want solutions that would bring an end to the cycle of violence and displacement.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) had reported that Fulani herdsmen launched an attack on April 24,2025, on some Benue communities.

The attack left many devastated and destitute.

As at the last update from local authorities, more than sixty persons have been reported killed.

On his part, Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has decried the renewed killings in different parts of the state.

Governor Alia, however, assured members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) of safety

Speaking through Mr. Terkimbi Ikyange, his Commissioner for Youth, Sports Development and Creativity, the governor promised them adequate security throughout their service year.

Alia, meanwhile, admitted the state faces insecurity challenges beyond scope.

It is against the backdrop of these monumental security challenges that Ambassador Mills was seen frolicking with members of the dreaded Fulani herders.

See a full picture of Mills and representatives of Miyetti Allah below:

Nigerians kick

Nigerians have reacted adversely to the thought of the Ambassador of the United States dining with terrorists.

David Hundeyin, @DavidHundeyin:

I just want to ask a simple question:

If the Chinese ambassador in Washington DC started holding meetings and snapping photos with representatives of groups that are perceived to be disgruntled and/or troublemakers in the U.S. (for the sake of argument, let’s say groups like the Proud Boys, Ku Klux Klan etc.), how would the U.S. government respond to that?

Would the U.S, government see this as an activity that falls within the regular, acceptable boundaries of diplomacy, or would it see it as open provocation and interference in their local politics and affairs? And if the answer is the latter, then why exactly is it OK for the U.S. government to do such things in other people’s countries?

What is the business of the U.S. ambassador with the representative of an ethno-supremacist group that regularly takes credit for deadly attacks targeting farmers across Nigeria? If you believe that the U.S. government has no sinister agenda in Nigeria or Africa, and every analysis showing otherwise is a “conspiracy theory,” then what, pray tell, is the explanation for this?

It’s just a question.

Zariyi Yusuf, @ZariyiYusufu:

Dear @USinNigeria,

I was under the impression that your institution was supposed to have concerns for those being attacked and massacred by these Islamists posing as cattle breeders.

Despite the group severally taking responsibility for genocidal massacres in the Middle Belt, Miyetti Allah was not proscribed as a terrorist group simply because General Muhammadu Buhari as President, was one of their patrons.

I thought it was a US policy not to negotiate with terrorists.

Godwin, @godwin_odigoi:

The prohibition on negotiating with terrorists ceases when the individuals facing terror and the terrorists themselves are Black, hailing from an African nation rich in resources ripe for exploitation.

66.66, @xacareeya

You’re the number one terrorist a simple glance at your profile will show that. Supporting terrorists and encouraging others to massacre innocent herders in the name of defending your useless villages.

Sir Pee:

In Animal Farm, George Orwel graphically posited on the issue of discrepant justice, the wailings of the militant animals: “two legs bad; four legs good.”

How much trust can the Americans be credited with? There were issues linked with drugs, identity theft, serial forgery, et al. Yet the American justice department made nonsense of free flow of justice by being fraudulently economical with the provision of facts related to the matter in question.

On the stubborn issues of herders’ grave onslaught on farmers, which they have deceitfully advertised as herders/farmers conflict, the Americans are not bothered over the massacre of Benue people and, indeed, other Nigerians who are legitimately pursuing their daily means of livelihood.

I have a hunch that western economies are unwavering in their usual policy of dismantling any known up and coming African economy so that their stranglehold is firmed and sustained.

Otherwise, why this brazen display of callousness in a chilling bloodbath scenario weighing against indigenous people of Nigeria? This is a painful approval of terrorism by the Americans and dislocation of peace building, fairness and justice.

~~~

Other, however, think that it was a harmless visit.

Bashir Ahmad, @BashirAhmaad:

While there have been desperate efforts by some to wrongly brand Miyetti Allah as a terrorist organization, yet the U.S. government still went ahead to hold a formal meeting with them.

I do hope this meeting should put such insinuations to rest because we all know the U.S. would never invite any organization linked to terrorism for any formal discussion.

What we know about Richard M. Mills

Ambassador Richard M. Mills Jr. is the current United States Ambassador to Nigeria, having assumed office on July 25, 2024.

Here’s a brief overview of his background and career:

Early Life and Education:

Born on February 23, 1959, in Louisiana, USA, Ambassador Mills earned a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law, and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University.

Diplomatic Career:

Ambassador Mills has had a distinguished career in the US Foreign Service, serving in various capacities, including:

• United States Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations (2020-2024)
• Chargé d’Affaires, United States Ambassador to the United Nations (January 2021-February 2021)
• Chargé d’Affaires, United States Ambassador to Canada (2019-2020)
• United States Ambassador to Armenia (2015-2018)

Awards and Recognition:

Ambassador Mills has received nine Superior Honor Awards from the Department of State and was a nominee for the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Year Award in 2012.

Personal Life:

He is married to Leigh Gabrielle Carter, a retired US Foreign Service Officer.

In the interim, watch a video of an unidentified lady saying a poem dedicated to the helpless people of Benue State:

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