In northern Nigeria, ravaged by jihadist violence and repeated anti-Christian attacks, a ray of hope breaks through the oppression: Father Alphonsus Afina, a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Maiduguri, has been freed after more than fifty days in the hands of armed men. A deliverance hailed as a true miracle, obtained, according to the local bishop, through prayer and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It was on June 1, 2025, that Father Alphonsus was abducted by armed militiamen in a region where the kidnapping of priests and faithful has become tragically frequent. Ten women were also taken hostage with him. For 51 days, no information filtered through about their fate. Silence, anguish, prayer.
On July 21, 2025, deliverance finally came. At 4 p.m., Father Afina and the ten women were released by their captors. He was officially handed over to his brother priests around 11:30 p.m. The Auxiliary Bishop of Maiduguri, Most Rev. John Bakeni, immediately expressed his gratitude to all who prayed for this outcome:
"I thank all our friends and benefactors of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) for your solidarity with our diocese during this time of trial. To the glory of God, Father Afina has been released with ten women."
According to Bishop Bakeni, the priest appeared weakened but lucid, physically marked by the ordeal but psychologically stable. Medical care was organized to ensure his full recovery, and he was to be reunited with his mother and loved ones that same day.
The prelate did not hesitate to describe this liberation as an exceptional grace, in a region where many kidnap victims never return. He also recalled the constant danger these armed groups pose to local Christian populations.
Northern Nigeria has been ravaged for years by violence from armed Islamists and criminal gangs. Priests, religious sisters, catechists, and the faithful are often the targets of persecution, kidnappings, and massacres, in an atmosphere of near-total indifference from major international media.
The organization Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which confirmed the release, recalls that it has long supported the Catholic communities in this martyred region: pastoral aid, post-traumatic care, reconstruction of churches and villages, and above all, unceasing prayer for peace.
The spiritual battle continues. This liberation must strengthen our faith and rekindle our prayers for our persecuted Nigerian brothers and sisters. Father Afina is free, thanks be to God, but how many others remain captive? How many churches burned, families bereaved, vocations shattered in the general silence?