‘They Beat Me Like An Animal’: Minister Keyamo’s Estranged American Lover Alleges Kidnap, Torture After Questioning Mother’s Suspicious Death

The Nigerian Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has been accused of orchestrating the violent detention and abuse of his estranged American lover, Zainab, after she questioned the mysterious death of her mother, Balinda, under his watch....READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE | READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE...

In an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters, Zainab recounted a harrowing tale of betrayal, brutality, and state-backed impunity that spanned days and nearly cost her life.

Beginning of the Relationship

SaharaReporters had reported that Zainab’s relationship with Keyamo began on September 21, 2023, at a UN event in New York, where she worked as a translator.

Their communication grew quickly, and Keyamo visited her mother in New York to plan their relocation to Nigeria.

On November 13, Zainab, her mother, and others flew from New York to Uganda on Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET513, with Keyamo covering their luxury accommodations in Uganda.

After staying there until December 22 2024, Keyamo arranged a private jet to fly them to Abuja, bypassing immigration checks.

Zainab then briefly returned to New York before returning to Nigeria on April 9, 2023, leaving her family in Keyamo’s custody during her absence.

“When I returned from New York and arrived in Abuja on the 9th of April, 2024, I immediately noticed that my mother was not the same as when I left,” Zainab said.

“Her condition had visibly changed. It was then that the household staff and aides began to reveal some troubling details about what had been happening at home—issues with food, electricity, and other disheartening circumstances that had affected her well-being. And that Oga (Festus Keyamo) never visited the home to check on the mother. He promised me care and support as if he were her son and as if that was his own mother.”

Zainab said she began seeking answers from Keyamo about her mother’s decline and untimely death, which reportedly occurred while Balinda was in his custody. But what followed was a shocking chain of events allegedly orchestrated to silence her.

“Yes, my detention was nothing short of inhumane, and it stripped me of my dignity and pride. The one person I trusted most betrayed me and my entire family,” she recounted.

Abduction and Detention

On June 5, 2024, at about noon, Zainab was at their residence in Wuse 2, Abuja, when a violent raid was carried out. She said the attack began with three loud bangs on the doors of the compound and the sudden intrusion of a Chief Security Officer identified as Felix, who was allegedly acting on Keyamo’s instructions.

“They began to violently assault my housemaid, Peace Phillip, severely injuring her, pulling her by her hair, throwing her to the ground,” she said. “Then they attacked my chef, slamming him against the wall and beating him mercilessly, shouting that we were criminals, illegal, and thieves.”

Zainab said Felix personally attacked her.

“Felix charged at me next, slapped me, and twisted my hand so forcefully that it broke two fingers on my left hand. He took two phones from me, dragged me by my dress, and threw me down the stairs… Then he beat my nanny, who is the caretaker of my nephew, Princeton,” she said.

As if the assault was not enough, she said they were bundled into a white van.

“Felix pulled out his gun, hitting me on the hands and arms when I tried to ask for help. They even tossed the dog out the window by its tail… I was bleeding from my ear, nose, and hand, completely disoriented.”

The entourage made a brief stop at her nephew’s school.

They forced us to keep our heads down and told my driver to go inside the school. I couldn’t see what was happening, but I saw them return with the child before we continued driving,” she narrated.

Horrific Detention Conditions

Zainab and her staff were later taken to what she described as an immigration office, where they were detained for hours and accused of being in Nigeria illegally.

“I explained that I was invited by the minister, but they didn’t believe me… That’s when they stepped back for a brief meeting, and I could see the shift in their behaviour,” she said.

“However, they still separated us. They took my chef away and locked him in a cell while they moved the rest of us to another location, which I later discovered was the NIS guest house.”

She said the conditions at the facility were appalling and designed to inflict psychological torture.

“Myself, my dog, the child, and two domestic workers were confined there, with no way to leave or get any assistance. No running water, no working toilet. The room had gates and bars on the windows and balcony, essentially trapping us inside,” she further narrated.

Zainab claimed repeated attempts to contact the American Embassy were blocked.

“I begged them, pleaded with them… I told them, ‘If he doesn’t want the American people to know how my mother died under his care and how he denied me an autopsy, I won’t say a word. But please, do not hurt us.’ But they refused to grant any of my requests,” she said.

Allegations Against Keyamo’s Sister, Ruth

She accused the minister’s sister, Ruth, of overseeing the abuse.

“I showed Ruth the severity of the injury. I begged her for help, telling her, ‘Ruth, I don’t want to die here. I have a daughter. Please, feel pity for me. Talk to your brother and have him set us free.’ But her response was chilling. She said, ‘I am not the one who makes those decisions. My brother is the one in control,’” Zainab said.

One of the most disturbing moments, Zainab said, was when a woman dressed in a military uniform was brought in, claiming to be from the U.S. Embassy.

“She asked me what I wanted to report… I told her I needed to retrieve my mother’s American passport from the house, and that I wanted to go home. She then asked, ‘Do you want to report any abuse that has happened here?’ I told her, ‘No, Madame,’ because I feared further retaliation… She simply nodded, said ‘Noted,’ and walked away.”

But Zainab became convinced the woman was not a real consular official.

“This woman did not present any identification or credentials, and I distinctly remembered seeing her at the immigration office before. I am certain now that she was not from the American Embassy at all,” she said.

She continued to explain how she was confined inside a room on the minister’s order.

“Inside that room, the conditions grew more unbearable by the hour,” Zainab said.

She continued: “My dog was forced to relieve itself in the same confined space where we were locked. The smell became overwhelming, and the situation seemed to get worse with every passing minute.

“I pleaded with them to let us step outside, even just for a moment of fresh air, but they refused. Not even the child was allowed to go outside.”

Zainab said Princeton, her dog, and two domestic staff members were locked inside the room, which did not have a working toilet or running water.

“The only time they would let me leave the room was when they escorted me to the hallway, but that was only to be met by a group of 15 to 20 individuals — some aides to the minister, others affiliated with immigration, and possibly even people who were just there out of curiosity. It felt like a public spectacle, with my every move being watched, monitored, and controlled,” she said.

But her pain and humiliation were far from over.

“While still confined, the situation took a darker turn when I was forcibly injected against my will,” she said.

“I had refused, fearing for my life. I truly believed they were trying to poison or kill me. But they overpowered me and administered the injection by force. I had no idea what substance they used, and to this day, I have not been given any explanation.”

Zainab said her physical suffering was deliberately prolonged, particularly regarding the injuries inflicted when her hand was twisted by one of Keyamo’s aides, breaking two fingers.

She continued, “They kept calling on a gentleman — possibly medical personnel or simply someone following orders — to attend to my broken hand. My fingers were visibly fractured, and I was screaming in agony.

“I pleaded with him, ‘Please, my hand is broken. My fingers are broken.’ But he dismissed my pain and said, ‘No, no, no, you’re just in pain. Everything will be fine.’ He then began pouring alcohol on the wounds, which caused an excruciating burning sensation.”

Despite bleeding heavily, Zainab said she was denied proper medical treatment.

“Instead of getting me a splint, a cast, an X-ray, or even adequate pain relief, they kept sending this same man, who provided only surface-level treatment,” she narrated.

“Even when I fainted from the pain and physical stress, they treated it as if it meant nothing. It was a complete dismissal of my humanity, basic medical ethics, and any legal or moral responsibility to provide care.”

By then, she said, it had become clear to her that her suffering was deliberate. “Every cry for help, every expression of pain, was ignored or minimised. I was left with no dignity, no agency, and no basic care — just fear and trauma in a place where I should never have been to begin with.”

Terrified for their lives, Zainab said she began planning an escape.

“I turned to my staff and told them that we couldn’t just sit there any longer. I said, ‘They can come in tomorrow, drag us out of this room, and shoot us in the woods.’ The fear was palpable. The isolation, the pain, the constant threats — it all weighed heavily on us. I told them, ‘We can’t let this happen. We have to try to escape,’” Zainab said.

The turning point came when a female immigration officer visited their room. Desperate, Zainab seized the chance to ask for help.

“She asked me what was wrong, and I begged her — I told her we were being held here unlawfully and that I needed to contact the American Embassy. She hesitated, then handed me her phone.”

Zainab didn’t waste a second. Fearing the message could be seen or traced, she used Snapchat.

She said, “I sent out a few urgent messages, unable to write more than a few brief lines. I typed, ‘Kidnapped by minister. I put my address. Held captive. Call American Embassy. Call the police. Make an alarm. Help me. I don’t know where I am. They took me from my home. We are in a locked room. I can’t see outside.’

“Along with the message, I sent photos of my injuries, hoping they would show the truth of what had happened to me.

“The first person I contacted was my daughter, praying she would see the message and understand what was happening. I also reached out to Joey, my lash technician, who had done services for me and worked with Festus Keyamo. I sent messages to Walter, who does my nails, as well as a local Imam who had once helped me find mosques in the area.

“I sent it to a gentleman who assisted at the vet clinic nearby named Zayad and even to my tennis coach, Paul. Finally, I sent messages to two other individuals on my Snapchat timeline people I trusted to help if they could.

“I knew that the chances of getting help were slim, but I couldn’t just sit in silence. I had to try, because silence meant surrendering, and surrendering meant being lost forever in this nightmare.”

Zainab said she eventually collapsed from pain and dehydration.

“Mr. Guma (an immigration officer) finally confronted Ruth. He told her, ‘If this American woman dies here, it will jeopardise the country.’ He demanded I be taken for an X-ray.”

Zainab forced them to transport her to a clinic.

She said: “The doctor looked at the X-ray and said, ‘My hand is broken in two places and I need immediate care.’ I broke down. I screamed.”

She continued: “The most chilling part of that moment, however, was hearing Ms. Ruth speaking to her brother on FaceTime, giving him updates on the situation. As the words echoed in the air, I realised with a sinking feeling that the man who had once claimed to love me, whom I trusted with my family, was orchestrating everything.

“He was the one pulling the strings, making sure that nothing went as I had hoped. He had given the orders, handing the reins to his sister, Ms. Ruth, and his head of security, Mr. Felix, to oversee my fate.

“June 5, 2024, was the day that shattered any illusions I had left. It was the day that I realised I wasn’t just caught in a web of lies; I was completely under their control, and I had no idea how to break free.

“The abuse and the way that they beat us up. I want to emphasise that while Oga (Festus Keyamo) didn’t physically harm me himself, he was directly responsible for the actions of his sister and his Chief Security Officer.

“They physically assaulted me multiple times like an animal. My fingers were broken, I was slapped repeatedly, and my eardrum was ruptured. The CSO and guards were acting on his orders, and if not him, they should tell me, but no need. I heard the video FaceTime, or at the very least, with his full knowledge and consent, as they were part of his entourage, like a bully.”

“These assaults were a direct result of his influence and authority,” she concluded.

Rebuttals and Official Silence

When contacted, Festus Keyamo dismissed Zainab’s claims as acts of blackmail and suggested that we speak to his sister, Ruth, whom he claimed had more information about the incidents.

In response, Ruth denied the allegations of Zainab being assaulted. She stated that her hands were injured because she had wounded herself while doing domestic chores.

She said, “Immigration arrested her lawfully. There was nothing like assault. She can sue immigration if she alleges unlawful arrest and deportation. My family cannot hold a brief for immigration, and we are not involved in that process.”

When asked for clarification on Zainab’s entry and exit from Nigeria, Immigration Service spokesman Akinsola Akinlabi responded, “I will get back to you on this.”

However, all further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.

WATCH: ‘They Beat Me Like An Animal’: Minister Keyamo’s Estranged American Lover Alleges Kidnap, Torture After Questioning Mother’s Suspicious Death pic.twitter.com/PLRc3mXz5O

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) May 1, 2025