Nigerian Catholic priest Alphonsus Afina, was kidnapped near Gwoza by Boko Haram. Church urges prayer and fasting for his release.
Newsroom, June 9 2025, Gaudium Press – The Nigerian Catholic priest, Fr. Alphonsus Afina, who served in the diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, for more than six years, was kidnapped by the terrorist group Boko Haram upon returning to his homeland.
Redaction (06/06/2025 09:44, Gaudium Press)
“I managed to speak with Father Afina. He is well and in good condition. We hope he can be freed soon,” declared to Agenzia Fides Monsignor John Bogna Bakeni, auxiliary bishop of Maiduguri (capital of Borno State, northeastern Nigeria), thus confirming the news published by several media outlets in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, about the kidnapping of Fr. Alphonsus Afina, a Nigerian priest who served for several years in the American diocese.
“Fr. Afina was kidnapped on the night of Sunday, June 1, near Gwoza, as he returned to Maiduguri after celebrating Mass,” Monsignor Bakeni reported. The kidnappers contacted the Maiduguri diocese by phone and offered proof that the priest is still alive.
The Gwoza area remains highly insecure due to the presence of the two main factions into which Boko Haram divided: one called Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal‑Jihad (JAS) and the other, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which adhered to ISIS, forming its “West Africa Province.”
The news of Fr. Afina’s kidnapping caused great consternation in the diocese of Fairbanks, where the priest served for six and a half years in the villages of the Seward Peninsula, between 2017 and 2024. During his stay in Alaska, Fr. Afina took online psychology and counseling courses, intending to establish, upon returning to Nigeria, a support center for victims of trauma caused by Boko Haram.
On June 3, the diocese of Fairbanks celebrated a special Mass to pray for the priest’s return. More than 200 faithful attended the celebration, while others followed it live from the villages where Fr. Afina had ministered.
Father Robert Fath, vicar general of the diocese of Fairbanks, commented: “Hearing about religious persecution in places like Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East is something very abstract for most people, but now, knowing someone who was kidnapped because of his faith, facing very extreme circumstances, including the possibility of being executed for his beliefs, really makes it more understandable.”
According to Fath, Afina spoke openly about his confrontation with Boko Haram in Nigeria: “they shot him, threatened him, burned his churches, kidnapped and murdered his family and friends.”
While awaiting further news from Nigeria, Fath said that the most powerful weapon Catholics have is prayer. “We encourage the faithful to continue praying for him, to devote time to the Eucharist, to fast, and to offer other forms of penance to strengthen Fr. Afina.”
With information from fides.org
Compiled by Adele Wong.
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