In a chilling reminder of the growing insecurity in Nigeria’s northeast, Boko Haram militants have abducted a Nigerian Catholic priest, Rev. Alphonsus Afina, alongside several other travellers in a brazen daylight ambush near Gwoza, Borno State.
Rev. Afina, who had only recently returned to Nigeria after years of service in the United States, was en route from Mubi to Maiduguri for a church-organized workshop on June 1 when his convoy was violently intercepted near a military checkpoint close to the Cameroon border. According to Bishop John Bogna Bakeni of Maiduguri Diocese, the ambush was sudden and brutal—marked by an explosion from a rocket-propelled grenade that struck one of the vehicles, killing one person and injuring others.
The convoy had been stopped for military clearance when the insurgents struck. The number of those abducted remains uncertain, but witnesses report several passengers were forcefully taken into the nearby forest by heavily armed militants.
Bishop Bakeni, who spoke to Rev. Afina by phone the day after the incident, confirmed that although visibly exhausted, the priest was “sounding OK” and “in good spirits,” despite the trauma of his abduction. However, the bishop could not determine whether Afina was specifically targeted or just an unfortunate victim caught in the chaos.
In a further twist, Rev. Robert Fath, Vicar General of the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska—where Afina had served from 2017 until early 2024—revealed he received a chilling call from someone claiming to be a member of Boko Haram, confirming the priest was in their custody.
Rev. Afina had returned to Nigeria earlier this year to contribute to peace-building efforts under the Catholic Church’s Justice, Development and Peace Commission, a group working on social justice initiatives in conflict-ridden areas.
So far, Nigerian authorities have remained tight-lipped. There has been no official statement from security agencies, and inquiries from the press have gone unanswered—raising further concerns about the government’s grip on the deteriorating security situation in Borno and surrounding states.
Boko Haram, Nigeria’s most notorious extremist group, has waged a bloody insurgency since 2009, seeking to dismantle secular institutions and impose a radical Islamic order. Their campaign of terror has killed over 35,000 civilians and displaced more than 2 million people, according to the United Nations. Their targets range from security forces and schools to religious figures and aid workers.
In March, another priest was kidnapped and later killed in central Nigeria, highlighting the increasing vulnerability of clerics across the country. The latest abduction of Rev. Afina sends shockwaves through Nigeria’s Christian community and underscores the persistent threat posed by insurgents who operate with impunity in many rural regions.
As prayers pour in for Rev. Afina’s safe return, Nigerians once again face the grim reality of a nation where the road is no longer safe, the state’s protection is uncertain, and even men of God are not spared from the bloodstained grip of terror.
PIONEER NEWS 