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| Jennifer Joseph and her parents |
Bauchi State Police Command has released 16-year-old Jennifer Joseph to her parents, ending a tense multi-week custody dispute that drew national attention. The Christian teenager from Adamawa State had become the centre of competing claims involving her family, a Christian rehabilitation ministry and an Islamic Da’awah group.
Jennifer’s mother, Saratu Daniel, alleged that her daughter was introduced to Islam during a family visit and later taken from the Bishara Dole Christian centre in Bauchi without consent. She claimed a man identified as Abubakar, who had presented himself as a Christian convert, delivered the girl to the Da’awah group. The family reported the matter to police and travelled from Adamawa expecting to regain custody.
According to accounts from the Christian side, the Commissioner of Police initially directed Jennifer’s release to her parents. That process stalled after Da’awah representatives objected, citing safety concerns and calling for court intervention. Police then placed the teenager temporarily with the Bauchi State Agency for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (BASOVCA) pending further review.
A meeting on Sunday, 23 August 2026, brought the parties together at the police command. Representatives of Bishara Dole alleged that Jennifer was taken aside and asked to choose between her parents and the Da’awah group. Police spokesperson SP Nafiu Habib denied this version, stating he only asked about her preference between living with her mother or grandmother if released, and that the session focused on media-related information rather than formal investigation.
Jennifer was eventually released to her parents on Monday after further deliberations. At the same time, police detained Rev. Badamasi, a staff member of Bishara Dole, over an allegation that he molested the teenager while transporting her from Adamawa to Bauchi. The ministry rejected the claim as unfounded and part of an attempt to discredit its work.
Police maintained that Jennifer was found in Bauchi, identified as a student who had left the Bishara Dole facility, and that she had stated she converted to Islam in Adamawa through her grandmother. The command described the BASOVCA placement as a neutral holding arrangement requested by both the parents and the Da’awah committee.
The case highlights ongoing challenges in handling inter-religious custody disputes involving minors in northern Nigeria. Questions remain about the circumstances of Jennifer’s removal from the Christian centre, the validity of any conversion, the molestation allegation, and the longer-term welfare of the 16-year-old. With physical custody now restored to her parents, attention is expected to shift to whether formal investigations or court processes will follow.