MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (BN24) — A Nigerian Catholic priest who recently returned home after serving in the United States has been abducted by Boko Haram extremists along with other travelers in Nigeria’s conflict-ridden northeast, church officials confirmed Sunday.
The Rev. Alphonsus Afina, formerly of the Diocese of Fairbanks in Alaska, was kidnapped on June 1 near the border town of Gwoza in Borno state, a region long plagued by militant violence. The abduction occurred while Afina was en route from the city of Mubi to Maiduguri, the state capital, for a workshop when his convoy was ambushed near a military checkpoint.
“A rocket-propelled grenade struck one of the vehicles, killing a passenger and injuring several others,” said Bishop John Bogna Bakeni of the Diocese of Maiduguri. Bakeni told The Associated Press that he managed to speak briefly with Afina the day after the kidnapping. “He was tired from trekking, but sounded OK and in good spirits,” the bishop said.
It remains unclear whether Afina, who returned to Nigeria earlier this year to work with the Catholic Church’s Justice, Development and Peace Commission, was deliberately targeted. “There were multiple travelers abducted in the ambush,” Bakeni said, “but we don’t yet know how many.”
Nigerian authorities have not issued a public statement on the abduction and have not responded to media inquiries. Meanwhile, Rev. Robert Fath, vicar general of the Diocese of Fairbanks, told the Anchorage Daily News that he received a direct call from Boko Haram confirming they were holding Afina.
Afina served in Alaska from 2017 until 2024, ministering to remote parishes in one of the most isolated dioceses in the United States before returning to Nigeria to continue his work in social justice and pastoral care.
Nigeria has faced escalating violence across its northern and central regions, with armed groups—including Boko Haram—routinely launching attacks on communities, security forces, and travelers. Abductions for ransom have become increasingly common, and religious figures are often among the victims. In March, another priest was kidnapped and killed in central Nigeria.
Boko Haram, which began its insurgency in 2009 aiming to impose strict Islamic rule and oppose Western-style education, has been responsible for the deaths of over 35,000 people and the displacement of more than 2 million, according to the United Nations. The group’s campaign of terror has also spilled into neighboring countries, compounding one of Africa’s most intractable humanitarian crises.
