Alphonsus Afina, a church minister in Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno State, was rescued on 21 July by a security forces operation.
Alphonsus was released along with 10 women who had also been held hostage.
He had been kidnapped on his way to a humanitarian and peacebuilding conference in Maiduguri almost two months earlier, when Boko Haram militants ambushed his convoy.
Alphonsus Afina was held hostage for 51 days [image credit: Diocese of Fairbanks]
The assailants fired shots and threw a grenade at the vehicles, killing one passenger and abducting the others.
John Bogna Bakeni, a senior church leader in Borno State, praised the Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigerian Army, who teamed up to rescue Alphonsus, calling the operation “a testament to the commitment of our security agencies”.
Borno State, where Alphonsus was ministering, is a stronghold of both Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). In May 2025 two Christian education officials were killed by an improvised explosive device believed to have been planted by ISWAP.
How you can pray
Praise God for Alphonsus’ safe return. Give thanks for the courage and kindness of this minister, and pray that he will be able to continue working for the Lord without further danger. Pray for all the Christians still held in captivity by Islamist groups in Nigeria, that the Lord will protect them and that they will be released soon.
