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.
The two met on September 21, 2023, during a United Nations event in New York, where Zainab worked as a translator. Their relationship progressed rapidly, leading to travel arrangements that included Zainab, her mother, and others flying to Uganda on November 13, 2023, aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET513, with accommodations reportedly arranged and funded by Keyamo.
On December 22, 2024, they were flown via private jet to Abuja, bypassing standard immigration procedures. Zainab returned briefly to New York but came back to Nigeria on April 9, 2024, leaving her mother under Keyamo's care during her absence.
Upon her return, Zainab noticed her mother's health had deteriorated. Household staff reported troubling conditions, including neglect and lack of basic utilities. Zainab claimed that her mother passed away under suspicious circumstances while still under Keyamo’s care.
Zainab stated that she was excluded from the burial process entirely. She alleged that Keyamo and his aides took control of the funeral arrangements and forged legal documents to take possession of the corpse.
Efforts to get answers were met with silence and misinformation. Zainab created a WhatsApp group that included Keyamo, his Chief Security Officer (CSO), his sister Ruth, and others, to coordinate next steps. She repeatedly requested an autopsy, clarity about the burial process, and time to consult with her cousin in Uganda regarding a possible burial site.
Zainab 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, Keyamo allegedly withdrew from the process and delegated funeral responsibilities to his driver, Henry, a man Zainab barely knew and had previously accused of inappropriate behaviour.
She claimed that Keyamo’s sister Ruth and his CSO stormed the funeral home, allegedly intimidating staff and asserting control over the body. 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.
As of now, Keyamo has not publicly responded to these allegations. The situation raises serious questions about the abuse of power and the rights of individuals in such sensitive matters.