Zainab James, a U.S. Army officer born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1994 to a Jamaican mother, has launched a heartfelt search for her Nigerian father, believed to be Lateef Quadri.
Zainab revealed that her father was not present at her birth but chose her name. She shared that her late mother, Claudine James—born December 9, 1969, in Montego Bay, Jamaica—was friends with her biological father’s sister when they both worked at a jewelry store.
In a Facebook post dated Sunday, August 10, 2025, Zainab shared several photos of her mother with male friends from the store, hoping someone might recognize her father.
“Update: Mother’s name: Claudine James (deceased). A real shot in the dark, but why not! My mom got pregnant with me in 1993 while living in Brooklyn, New York. I’m looking for my father or any of his family. All I know is he was Nigerian, possibly named Lateef Quadri or something similar. They didn’t have a long-term relationship as he wasn’t present at my birth, but he did choose my name. No one in my family met him either. Apparently, she was friends with his sister who worked in a jewelry store with her,” she wrote.
Zainab’s heartfelt quest highlights her hope to reconnect with her roots and find her father or any of his relatives.
