A Nigerian Catholic priest formerly serving in the United States has been kidnapped by Boko Haram militants alongside several other travelers in Nigeria’s insurgency-ravaged northeast, the Catholic Church has confirmed.
Rev. Alphonsus Afina, a member of the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri and former missionary priest in Fairbanks, Alaska, was abducted on June 1 near Gwoza, a town bordering Cameroon in Borno State, said Bishop John Bogna Bakeni.
According to Bishop Bakeni, the abduction occurred while Rev. Afina was en route from Mubi to Maiduguri for a workshop when his convoy was ambushed near a military checkpoint. The attackers, suspected Boko Haram fighters, launched a rocket-propelled grenade at the convoy, killing one passenger and injuring several others. Multiple travelers were reportedly seized in the attack, though the exact number remains unknown.
“We spoke briefly over the phone the day after his abduction. Though fatigued from trekking, he sounded okay and was in good spirits,” Bakeni told the Associated Press.
The extremist group has not publicly claimed responsibility, but confirmation reportedly came via a phone call from the group to the Diocese of Fairbanks in Alaska, where Rev. Afina had served from 2017 to 2024. “We received a direct call from Boko Haram confirming they had him,” said Rev. Robert Fath, vicar general of the Fairbanks Diocese, in comments to the Anchorage Daily News.
Afina returned to Nigeria last year and has since been working with the Justice, Development and Peace Commission, a Catholic organization focused on social justice advocacy.
As of press time, Nigerian security agencies have not issued any official statements, and requests for comment have gone unanswered. The absence of swift public communication reflects ongoing concerns about government response amid rising insecurity across the north.
Nigeria has battled more than a decade of violent insurgency led by Boko Haram, a jihadist group notorious for attacks on civilians, military targets, and religious leaders. The insurgency, which began in 2009, has led to the deaths of over 35,000 civilians and displaced more than 2 million people, according to United Nations estimates.
Clergy abductions have become an alarming trend. In March, a Catholic priest in central Nigeria was kidnapped and later killed by unidentified gunmen, underlining the increasing danger religious figures face across conflict zones.
As the Catholic community calls for urgent intervention and prayers for Rev. Afina’s safe release, questions continue to mount over the effectiveness of current counterterrorism strategies and the security of Nigeria’s vulnerable road corridors.
Suomi 
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