A Nigerian Catholic priest who recently served in the United States has been abducted by Islamic extremists along with several other travelers in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State, the Church has confirmed.
Rev. Alphonsus Afina was kidnapped on June 1 near the border town of Gwoza by Boko Haram militants, Bishop John Bogna Bakeni of the Diocese of Maiduguri told The Associated Press on Sunday, June 8, 2025.
Afina, who was traveling from the city of Mubi to Maiduguri for a workshop, was ambushed while awaiting clearance at a military checkpoint. A rocket-propelled grenade struck one of the convoy vehicles, killing one person and injuring others, Bakeni said.
The bishop noted that it remains unclear whether Afina was directly targeted, as several other travelers were also seized during the ambush. The total number of abducted persons is yet to be confirmed.
Bakeni reported speaking with the priest via phone the day after the abduction. “Though he sounded exhausted from trekking, he was in good spirits,” the bishop said.
Nigerian authorities have not publicly commented on the incident and did not respond to requests for information.
Rev. Robert Fath, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, told the Anchorage Daily News that he received a phone call from Boko Haram confirming that Afina was in their custody.
Afina previously served in Alaska from 2017 to 2024 before returning to Nigeria, where he currently works with the Justice, Development and Peace Commission, a Catholic organization focused on social justice initiatives.
Nigeria continues to face escalating violence across its northern and central regions, with armed groups such as Boko Haram carrying out attacks on communities, killing thousands and abducting individuals for ransom. Clergy have increasingly become targets; in March, a priest in central Nigeria was kidnapped and later killed by unknown gunmen.
Boko Haram, a jihadist group that emerged in 2009, seeks to impose its version of Islamic law and has long opposed Western education. The insurgency has claimed around 35,000 lives and displaced over two million people, according to United Nations figures.
