A Nigerian Catholic priest, Rev. Alphonsus Afina, has been kidnapped by the militant group Boko Haram alongside other travelers in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno state, according to church officials.
Rev. Afina was abducted on June 1 near Gwoza, a town close to the Cameroon border, while traveling to Maiduguri for a workshop. His convoy was attacked at a military checkpoint, where armed assailants fired a rocket-propelled grenade, killing one person and injuring others.
Bishop John Bogna Bakeni of Maiduguri stated that he spoke with Afina a day after the abduction. Though exhausted from trekking, the priest remained “in good spirits.” It remains unclear whether he was specifically targeted, as several other travelers were also taken.
Nigerian authorities have not commented publicly on the incident. Meanwhile, Rev. Robert Fath, a priest in Fairbanks, Alaska—where Afina previously served—confirmed receiving a call from Boko Haram stating they were holding him.
Afina, who worked in Alaska from 2017 to 2024, returned to Nigeria to serve with the Justice, Development, and Peace Commission, a Catholic social justice group. His abduction comes amid escalating violence in northern Nigeria, where armed groups frequently attack communities, abduct civilians for ransom, and target religious figures.
Boko Haram has waged a violent insurgency since 2009, leading to thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions across Nigeria and neighboring countries.
