EXCLUSIVE: Estranged American Lover Accuses Nigerian Minister Festus Keyamo Of Forging Documents To Smuggle Mother’s Corpse Out Of Nigeria Without Her Consent

Zainab, an American citizen of Yemeni and Congolese-Ugandan heritage, has accused Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, of falsifying legal documents and fabricating Ugandan records to secretly transport her mother’s remains out of Nigeria without her knowledge or consent.

Relationship with Keyamo and Initial Travel to Africa

SaharaReporters earlier revealed that Zainab met Keyamo on September 21, 2023, during a United Nations event in New York, United States, where she worked as a translator. Their romantic relationship progressed rapidly, with Keyamo eventually travelling to meet Zainab’s mother and planning to relocate them to Nigeria.

On November 13, 2023, Zainab, her mother, and others travelled to Uganda aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET513, staying in luxury accommodations reportedly arranged and funded by Keyamo.

On December 22, 2024, they were flown via private jet to Abuja, avoiding standard immigration procedures. Zainab returned briefly to New York but returned to Nigeria on April 9, 2024, leaving her mother under Keyamo's care during her absence.

Suspicious Circumstances Surrounding Mother's Death

Upon her return, Zainab said she immediately noticed her mother’s health had deteriorated. Household staff reportedly disclosed troubling conditions in the home, including neglect and a lack of basic utilities. She said Keyamo, who had once pledged to treat her mother like his own, had failed to visit or check on her.

Zainab claimed that her mother passed away under suspicious circumstances while still under Keyamo’s care.

When she began seeking answers, Zainab said she faced intimidation and obstruction. She described her treatment during this period as deeply degrading and said she felt betrayed by someone she had trusted.

In an interview with SaharaReporters, Zainab recounted being excluded from the burial process entirely.

According to her, Keyamo and his aides took control of the funeral arrangements and forged legal documents to take possession of the corpse.

She said efforts to get answers were met with silence and misinformation. She created a WhatsApp group that included Keyamo, his Chief Security Officer (CSO), his sister Ruth, and others, to coordinate next steps.

In the group, she repeatedly requested an autopsy, clarity about the burial process, and time to consult with her cousin in Uganda regarding a possible burial site there. She also considered New York or Congo as potential resting places for her mother, but emphasised the importance of proximity and accessibility for her family.

Exclusion from Burial Process and Alleged Document Forgery

Zainab said she resisted attempts by Keyamo and his associates to have the body buried in Abuja, arguing it would be impractical for her family, scattered across the U.S., Congo, and Uganda, to attend.

However, instead of supporting her wishes, Zainab said Keyamo abruptly withdrew from the process and delegated funeral responsibilities to his driver, Henry, a man she barely knew and whom she had previously accused of inappropriate behaviour. She expressed distress that someone she didn’t trust was now in charge of handling her mother’s burial.

She claimed things escalated further when Keyamo’s sister Ruth and his CSO stormed the funeral home, allegedly intimidating staff and asserting control over the body.

According to Zainab, they had obtained confidential details from a staffer under pressure and then confronted her at the funeral home, dismissing her concerns and overriding her authority as next of kin.

Zainab, who is still used to referring to Keyamo as Oga (boss), said: “Oga's sister and CSO tracked me to the funeral home. They had called Banu (her driver) repeatedly and pressured him to drop our location despite my begging him not to. I believe fear made him comply.”

“They barged in, loud and confrontational. They made accusations, dismissed the funeral home, and insisted they were in charge. They spoke at me, not with me," Zainab added.

Zainab said that despite repeated messages in the WhatsApp group reminding them of her legal rights and requesting transparency, she was ignored. She accused Keyamo’s team of making empty promises in the group while secretly pursuing their own agenda behind her back.

Mysterious Court Affidavit and Alleged Fraudulent Actions

She said she was shocked when a court affidavit suddenly appeared in the group chat, claiming her consent had been given to Keyamo’s CSO to collect the corpse.

Zainab said she had never seen or signed such a document and had no idea how it was obtained. She accused the CSO of falsely claiming to be a friend of her mother to obtain the document.

Further compounding her distress, Zainab claimed her mother’s U.S. passport and naturalisation papers were deliberately hidden. She alleged that fraudulent names and forged documents were used to coordinate the body’s removal via airlines in Lagos and Abuja.

She said: "Then, suddenly, a document was shared in the group, an affidavit from the High Court. To my shock, Oga's CSO had gone behind my back, claimed to be my mother's friend, and obtained it in my absence. I don't know what lies were told or who authorised it, but at that moment, I realised they were operating fully behind my back.

"They were secretly planning to send my mother's body to wherever. They'd contacted my cousin Doug and fed him false information, telling him I was en route to Uganda to find burial grounds. They also claimed I would return if that didn't work, and try Congo, and if all else failed, we'd go to America.”

"Meanwhile, I was being held captive, unaware of any of this,” she asserted.

She added that her cousin, Doug, initially believed he was assisting with the burial arrangements, unaware that Zainab was allegedly being detained and kept in the dark.

He only realised the deception after receiving a distress message from Zainab’s daughter.

Doug then attempted to intervene by contacting Keyamo, his sister, the CSO, and others, including officials at the Ugandan Embassy in Abuja. Zainab claimed they all blocked him and spread false accusations about her, including claims that she had been deported or involved in child trafficking.

Eventually, she said, the corpse was removed from the morgue without her consent, and to this day, she cannot confirm whether the body sent to Uganda was actually her mother's, due to a lack of documentation and the refusal to conduct an autopsy.

“To this day, I don’t even know if the body that landed in Uganda was hers. Her body had already begun leaking, swelling, and darkening. There was no autopsy, no proof, no documentation given to me, no dignity,” she said.

Keyamo and Ruth Respond to Allegations

Festus Keyamo dismissed Zainab’s allegations, characterising them as an attempt at blackmail. He directed SaharaReporters to his sister, Ruth Keyamo, stating that she had more information about the matter.

When contacted by SaharaReporters, Ruth Keyamo denied all the allegations. She maintained that Zainab authorised the removal of the body and presented what she said was a signed letter dated June 6, 2024, allegedly granting the Chief Security Officer (CSO) permission to act on Zainab’s behalf.

The letter, signed in the name "Rambo Heidi Kim," allegedly authorised the minister’s CSO, Felix Okolie, to collect Zainab’s mother’s corpse from the mortuary.

To support her position, Ruth shared what she said was a letter of authorisation dated June 6, 2024. The document read: “I, RAMBO HEIDI KIM hereby authorize FELIX OKOLIE (CSO to the Hon. Minister) for the Corpse of HISLAIRE BALINDA JENNY who is my Mother, she was brought to your Mortuary on the 23rd May 2024. This is because I cannot come to the Hospital to collect her corpse for some personal reasons. Looking forward for your approval please.”

But Zainab firmly rejected Ruth’s claims, describing them as “false and untrue.” She maintained that she never gave any form of authorisation to Festus Keyamo or his aides to act on her behalf, nor did she instruct anyone to obtain an affidavit.

She categorically denied ever writing or signing the letter, describing it as a forgery. She told SaharaReporters the signature was not hers.

A comparison conducted by SaharaReporters between the signature on the letter and Zainab’s official documents, including her passport, showed clear inconsistencies.