"I had the opportunity to speak with Father Afina, and he is doing well and in good health. We are hopeful for his swift release," stated John Bogna Bakeni, Auxiliary Bishop of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, in an interview with Fides. He also confirmed reports from several newspapers in Fairbanks, Alaska, regarding the kidnapping of Father Alphonsus Afina, a Nigerian priest who served for many years as a chaplain in the US diocese.
"Father Afina was abducted on the night of Sunday, June 1, near Gwoza while returning to Maiduguri after celebrating Mass," reported Msgr. Bakeni. The kidnappers subsequently contacted the Diocese of Maiduguri by phone, providing evidence that Father Afina is still alive. The Gwoza area is considered relatively dangerous due to the presence of two major factions that have emerged from the Islamist group Boko Haram. One faction is known as "Jama'tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad" (JAS), while the other, the "Islamic State West Africa Province" (ISWAP), has aligned itself with the Islamic State and is now referred to as the "West Africa Province" (see Fides, 2/7/2024). The news of the Nigerian priest's kidnapping has caused significant concern in the US Diocese of Fairbanks, where Father Afina served in the villages of the Seward Peninsula for six and a half years, from 2017 to 2024.
While serving in the American diocese, Father Afina pursued online courses to obtain a degree in psychology and counseling, aiming to establish a trauma center for victims of Boko Haram upon his return to Nigeria. On June 3, the Diocese of Fairbanks held a Mass to pray for the priest's reunion with his family. Over 200 parishioners attended the Mass, while others tuned in to the live broadcast from the villages where Father Afina had served. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 5/6/2025)
