The Catholic community in Nigeria is once again facing a painful ordeal after the kidnapping of Fr. Alphonsus Afina, a priest of the Diocese of Maiduguri. The incident took place on Sunday, June 1, when Fr. Afina and two colleagues from the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) were traveling to a workshop in the regional capital. Their journey was violently interrupted near Gwoza, close to the border with Cameroon.
According to Bishop John Bagna Bakeni, auxiliary bishop of Maiduguri, the group was caught in a firefight between Nigerian military forces and armed militants affiliated with Boko Haram–Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The attack, which occurred around 12:30 p.m., resulted in several deaths and multiple kidnappings. One JDPC member was shot dead, while another managed to escape.
In a message to Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Bakeni confirmed that the terrorists have established contact and provided proof that Fr. Afina is alive.
“We continue to hope and pray for his swift release,” the bishop said. “We ask for prayers for the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, especially during this difficult and trying moment. May Our Lady of Perpetual Help intercede for us and for her son, Fr. Alphonsus Afina.”
This incident marks the 15th kidnapping of a religious figure in Nigeria so far this year, highlighting a tragic pattern. Though some of the abducted have been safely released, two were killed.
The growing danger to clergy and aid workers has raised alarms among both local communities and international observers. The JDPC, which Fr. Afina served, plays a critical role in providing humanitarian and peacebuilding support in Nigeria’s conflict zones.
In regions like Maiduguri, the Church’s presence often fills a gap left by weak or absent civil institutions. Priests such as Fr. Afina are spiritual leaders and frontline agents of peace, reconciliation, and survival. Their kidnapping is more than a personal tragedy — it is an assault on the fragile hope of people already struggling to live with dignity amid violence.
As Catholics around the world join in prayer for Fr. Afina’s safe return, the situation also calls for renewed attention to the broader crisis facing Nigeria’s vulnerable communities.
“The role of the Church,” as the Catechism reminds us, “is to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world” (CCC 899). In places like Maiduguri, that mission is being lived under extraordinary pressure.
