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Priest Abducted by Boko Haram Terrorists in Nigeria During Deadly Attack

Priest Abducted by Boko Haram Terrorists in Nigeria During Deadly Attack

World news

A persecution watchdog is sounding the alarm after a Catholic priest was reportedly abducted by the terror group Boko Haram in Nigeria.

Joel Veldkamp, head of international communications at Christian Solidarity International (CSI), told CBN News the Rev. Daniel Alphonsus Afina, 41, was taken June 1, 2025, while traveling from Mubi to Maiduguri. CSI is calling on the Nigerian government to “take urgent action” to secure his release.

Afina, a CSI partner, assisted the organization in serving persecuted Christians in the area, and was potentially targeted due to his Christian faith:

“He operates in an area of Nigeria called Maiduguri,” Veldkamp said. “This is really ground zero for the Boko Haram terrorist movement that’s been terrorizing Christians for almost 15 years now in Nigeria.”

He continued, “[Afina] is actually one of CSI’s partners. He helps us distribute food to people who have survived Boko Haram attacks and who are now displaced. They’ve had to flee their villages and live in camps in the main city of Maiduguri.”

Afina and his convoy were attacked with RPGs and rocket-propelled grenades and another partner was killed during the incursion. The abductors who took the priest forced him to call his bishop and tell him he had been abducted.

“He got to ask the bishop to pray for him,” Veldkamp said, noting no one has heard again from Afina since June 1. “We haven’t heard anything. He’s the 15th or the 16th priest or pastor who’s been kidnapped in Nigeria this year. Sometimes, they’d want ransom money, and other times they’re abducting them in order to kill them, in order to terrorize the Christian community.”

Veldkamp and CSI are urging the Nigerian government to take the situation seriously, for Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to issue a public statement condemning the abduction, and for officials to deploy peacekeeping forces around Maiduguri.

Sadly, though, Veldkamp said the government so often remains silent or does little to stem the tide of chaos and radical Islamic terror. Part of the reason, he said, could be due to complicity.

“We believe that there are figures in the Nigerian security establishment who have links to Boko Haram and who have links to other Islamic terrorist groups operating in Nigeria,” he said.

As for Afina, Veldkamp also shared that he is a new partner who moved back to Nigeria from Alaska in 2024. He had spent seven years working throughout the U.S. state, but felt called to return to Nigeria, despite the dangers and risks to Christians.

“He made the choice to return to Nigeria to serve his people,” he said. “While he was in Alaska, he was taking special courses in counseling and therapy with the intention of helping Nigerians who have been traumatized by these attacks.”

Persecution continues to be a horrific problem in Nigeria, where nearly half of the population is Christian and the other half is Muslim. Islamic extremism has driven the majority of the killings and chaos, with the northern portion of the nation, which is mostly Muslim, experiencing the most intense anti-Christian sentiment and attacks.

“Nigeria is the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian,” Veldkamp said. “More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than any other country in the world by far.”

Veldkamp is hoping to see the U.S. place more pressure on the Nigerian government. One such step in that direction would be for the U.S. State Department to once again list Nigeria on its Countries of Particular Concern list, a roster of nations with religious liberty restrictions. The Trump administration added Nigeria before the nation was removed under former President Joe Biden’s tenure.

As CBN News has reported, Nigeria is consistently found by watchdogs to be the most deadly nation for believers.

“We documented almost 10,000 killings of Christians, mostly in the north and middle part of that country,” Isaac Six, the former senior director of advocacy for Global Christian Relief (GCR), told CBN News earlier this year. “And, again, that is systematic violence being perpetrated and led by groups like Boko Haram, and Islamic State West Africa Province, and then other armed groups.”

Ultimately, Isaac said Christians in America need to understand the extent of the terror.

“The church in America really has to hear how horrific some of these stories are,” he said. “It’s not just violence. It’s not just killings. It is brutal atrocities. And, frankly, the church has to wake up to some of this. Only a fraction of believers in America are even aware of what’s happening.”

Other persecution trackers have also extensively documented the severity of the issue. Open Doors’ World Watch List 2025 placed Nigeria in the seventh spot in its rankings of nations where anti-Christian persecution and discrimination are the worst.

As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.

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Police in the Bahamas have released without charges a Michigan man who said his wife disappeared after falling overboard from a small boat in waters off the Caribbean island country, authorities said Monday.

Brian Hooker, of Onsted in southern Michigan, had been in police custody since 8 April – five days – after being questioned by authorities.

Law enforcement freed him after consulting prosecutors who recommended against filing charges at this time, with investigations under way.

Brian Hooker told police that Lynette Hooker, 55, fell overboard the night of 4 April as they were traveling in an 8ft (2.4-meter) motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, a group of small islands on the eastern end of the Bahamas. He said Lynette had the boat’s keys, causing the vessel’s engine to shut off and forcing him to paddle ashore.

“Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her,” police said in a statement.

After reaching shore, Brian Hooker alerted someone about his wife’s disappearance early the following day, according to authorities.

Hooker has denied any wrongdoing, according to his attorney, Terrel Butler. She did not immediately respond to an email Monday from the Associated Press requesting comment on Brian Hooker’s release.

The US Coast Guard has opened an investigation separate from the one being conducted by authorities in the Bahamas.

The couple has been married for more than 20 years and chronicled their adventures sailing around the Caribbean on their Sailing Hookers Facebook page. They posted videos in 2023 of buying a sailboat they named Soul Mate in the coastal town of Rockport, Texas, and then embarking on a cruise through the Gulf of Mexico from the port town of Kemah, Texas.

The couple’s home in Onsted is about 70 miles (120km) south-west of Detroit.

Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told NBC News that it is unlikely her mother would “just fall” off the boat, saying she was an experienced sailor. She noted the couple had been sailing for years on their voyages.

The couple has had a history of contention, with Brian and Lynette Hooker accusing each other in 2015 of assault, according to a Kentwood, Michigan, police report obtained by NBC.

Brian Hooker, who was intoxicated and bleeding from the nose, told police his wife had struck him multiple times in the face, the report said. He told officers Lynette also was drunk. She was arrested and spent the night in jail. A warrant was denied because it wasn’t clear “who started the assault”.

#Bahamas #police #release #Michigan #man #questioned #wife #disappeared #boat">Bahamas police release Michigan man questioned after wife disappeared from their boatPolice in the Bahamas have released without charges a Michigan man who said his wife disappeared after falling overboard from a small boat in waters off the Caribbean island country, authorities said Monday.Brian Hooker, of Onsted in southern Michigan, had been in police custody since 8 April – five days – after being questioned by authorities.Law enforcement freed him after consulting prosecutors who recommended against filing charges at this time, with investigations under way.Brian Hooker told police that Lynette Hooker, 55, fell overboard the night of 4 April as they were traveling in an 8ft (2.4-meter) motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, a group of small islands on the eastern end of the Bahamas. He said Lynette had the boat’s keys, causing the vessel’s engine to shut off and forcing him to paddle ashore.“Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her,” police said in a statement.After reaching shore, Brian Hooker alerted someone about his wife’s disappearance early the following day, according to authorities.Hooker has denied any wrongdoing, according to his attorney, Terrel Butler. She did not immediately respond to an email Monday from the Associated Press requesting comment on Brian Hooker’s release.The US Coast Guard has opened an investigation separate from the one being conducted by authorities in the Bahamas.The couple has been married for more than 20 years and chronicled their adventures sailing around the Caribbean on their Sailing Hookers Facebook page. They posted videos in 2023 of buying a sailboat they named Soul Mate in the coastal town of Rockport, Texas, and then embarking on a cruise through the Gulf of Mexico from the port town of Kemah, Texas.The couple’s home in Onsted is about 70 miles (120km) south-west of Detroit.Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told NBC News that it is unlikely her mother would “just fall” off the boat, saying she was an experienced sailor. She noted the couple had been sailing for years on their voyages.The couple has had a history of contention, with Brian and Lynette Hooker accusing each other in 2015 of assault, according to a Kentwood, Michigan, police report obtained by NBC.Brian Hooker, who was intoxicated and bleeding from the nose, told police his wife had struck him multiple times in the face, the report said. He told officers Lynette also was drunk. She was arrested and spent the night in jail. A warrant was denied because it wasn’t clear “who started the assault”.#Bahamas #police #release #Michigan #man #questioned #wife #disappeared #boat

Bahamas have released without charges a Michigan man who said his wife disappeared after falling overboard from a small boat in waters off the Caribbean island country, authorities said Monday.

Brian Hooker, of Onsted in southern Michigan, had been in police custody since 8 April – five days – after being questioned by authorities.

Law enforcement freed him after consulting prosecutors who recommended against filing charges at this time, with investigations under way.

Brian Hooker told police that Lynette Hooker, 55, fell overboard the night of 4 April as they were traveling in an 8ft (2.4-meter) motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, a group of small islands on the eastern end of the Bahamas. He said Lynette had the boat’s keys, causing the vessel’s engine to shut off and forcing him to paddle ashore.

“Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her,” police said in a statement.

After reaching shore, Brian Hooker alerted someone about his wife’s disappearance early the following day, according to authorities.

Hooker has denied any wrongdoing, according to his attorney, Terrel Butler. She did not immediately respond to an email Monday from the Associated Press requesting comment on Brian Hooker’s release.

The US Coast Guard has opened an investigation separate from the one being conducted by authorities in the Bahamas.

The couple has been married for more than 20 years and chronicled their adventures sailing around the Caribbean on their Sailing Hookers Facebook page. They posted videos in 2023 of buying a sailboat they named Soul Mate in the coastal town of Rockport, Texas, and then embarking on a cruise through the Gulf of Mexico from the port town of Kemah, Texas.

The couple’s home in Onsted is about 70 miles (120km) south-west of Detroit.

Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told NBC News that it is unlikely her mother would “just fall” off the boat, saying she was an experienced sailor. She noted the couple had been sailing for years on their voyages.

The couple has had a history of contention, with Brian and Lynette Hooker accusing each other in 2015 of assault, according to a Kentwood, Michigan, police report obtained by NBC.

Brian Hooker, who was intoxicated and bleeding from the nose, told police his wife had struck him multiple times in the face, the report said. He told officers Lynette also was drunk. She was arrested and spent the night in jail. A warrant was denied because it wasn’t clear “who started the assault”.

#Bahamas #police #release #Michigan #man #questioned #wife #disappeared #boat">Bahamas police release Michigan man questioned after wife disappeared from their boat

Police in the Bahamas have released without charges a Michigan man who said his wife disappeared after falling overboard from a small boat in waters off the Caribbean island country, authorities said Monday.

Brian Hooker, of Onsted in southern Michigan, had been in police custody since 8 April – five days – after being questioned by authorities.

Law enforcement freed him after consulting prosecutors who recommended against filing charges at this time, with investigations under way.

Brian Hooker told police that Lynette Hooker, 55, fell overboard the night of 4 April as they were traveling in an 8ft (2.4-meter) motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, a group of small islands on the eastern end of the Bahamas. He said Lynette had the boat’s keys, causing the vessel’s engine to shut off and forcing him to paddle ashore.

“Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her,” police said in a statement.

After reaching shore, Brian Hooker alerted someone about his wife’s disappearance early the following day, according to authorities.

Hooker has denied any wrongdoing, according to his attorney, Terrel Butler. She did not immediately respond to an email Monday from the Associated Press requesting comment on Brian Hooker’s release.

The US Coast Guard has opened an investigation separate from the one being conducted by authorities in the Bahamas.

The couple has been married for more than 20 years and chronicled their adventures sailing around the Caribbean on their Sailing Hookers Facebook page. They posted videos in 2023 of buying a sailboat they named Soul Mate in the coastal town of Rockport, Texas, and then embarking on a cruise through the Gulf of Mexico from the port town of Kemah, Texas.

The couple’s home in Onsted is about 70 miles (120km) south-west of Detroit.

Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told NBC News that it is unlikely her mother would “just fall” off the boat, saying she was an experienced sailor. She noted the couple had been sailing for years on their voyages.

The couple has had a history of contention, with Brian and Lynette Hooker accusing each other in 2015 of assault, according to a Kentwood, Michigan, police report obtained by NBC.

Brian Hooker, who was intoxicated and bleeding from the nose, told police his wife had struck him multiple times in the face, the report said. He told officers Lynette also was drunk. She was arrested and spent the night in jail. A warrant was denied because it wasn’t clear “who started the assault”.

#Bahamas #police #release #Michigan #man #questioned #wife #disappeared #boat

The late Argentinian football legend’s childhood home has been converted into a soup kitchen serving those affected by President Javier Milei’s austerity measures.

At 523 Amazor street in Fiorito, a Buenos Aires suburb where the “Golden Boy” experienced extreme poverty growing up, locals can now receive meals and clothing assistance.

This neighbourhood of about 50,000 residents living in modest brick homes features numerous murals commemorating the career of the iconic number 10, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 60.

As a criminal negligence trial begins on Tuesday against the seven-member medical team responsible for Maradona’s final care following brain surgery, his childhood community continues his legacy of compassion.

Neighbours visit “Diego’s house” carrying containers that volunteers fill with chicken stew and other meals prepared in large cauldrons in the yard, while cumbia music – Maradona’s preferred genre – plays in the background.

“Diego would say there is a lot of hunger and we have to help, because the need is so great,” explained Diego Gavilan, who benefits from the kitchen’s services.

Gavilan, who collects cardboard and scrap metal, began visiting the soup kitchen after Milei implemented radical free-market reforms following his December 2023 election.

“You can’t make ends meet,” Gavilan noted.

Despite statistics showing poverty reduction under Milei, primarily due to decreasing inflation, family finances remain in crisis, according to Central Bank reports. Increased imports and plummeting consumption have resulted in more than 20,000 business closures.

Gavilan appreciates receiving assistance from Maradona’s former home: “He suffered so much hunger here as a child. For the people of the neighbourhood to receive a plate of food is special.”

The facility operates without dining accommodations. Volunteers prepare food over open fires in the yard, distributing it in bags to those waiting at the entrance.

Maradona frequently referenced his humble origins in an area without running water or paved streets. Sixty-six years after his birth, hardship remains visible on the faces of those queueing for food.

“People are going hungry,” said Maria Torres, one of the centre’s cooks, who believes Maradona would approve of his childhood home’s charitable repurposing.

#Photos #Maradonas #childhood #home #soup #kitchenGallery, News, Sport, Food, Football, Human Rights, Poverty and Development, Argentina, Latin America">Photos: Maradona’s childhood home becomes soup kitchen for those in needPublished On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026The late Argentinian football legend’s childhood home has been converted into a soup kitchen serving those affected by President Javier Milei’s austerity measures.At 523 Amazor street in Fiorito, a Buenos Aires suburb where the “Golden Boy” experienced extreme poverty growing up, locals can now receive meals and clothing assistance.This neighbourhood of about 50,000 residents living in modest brick homes features numerous murals commemorating the career of the iconic number 10, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 60.As a criminal negligence trial begins on Tuesday against the seven-member medical team responsible for Maradona’s final care following brain surgery, his childhood community continues his legacy of compassion.Neighbours visit “Diego’s house” carrying containers that volunteers fill with chicken stew and other meals prepared in large cauldrons in the yard, while cumbia music – Maradona’s preferred genre – plays in the background.“Diego would say there is a lot of hunger and we have to help, because the need is so great,” explained Diego Gavilan, who benefits from the kitchen’s services.Gavilan, who collects cardboard and scrap metal, began visiting the soup kitchen after Milei implemented radical free-market reforms following his December 2023 election.“You can’t make ends meet,” Gavilan noted.Despite statistics showing poverty reduction under Milei, primarily due to decreasing inflation, family finances remain in crisis, according to Central Bank reports. Increased imports and plummeting consumption have resulted in more than 20,000 business closures.Gavilan appreciates receiving assistance from Maradona’s former home: “He suffered so much hunger here as a child. For the people of the neighbourhood to receive a plate of food is special.”The facility operates without dining accommodations. Volunteers prepare food over open fires in the yard, distributing it in bags to those waiting at the entrance.Maradona frequently referenced his humble origins in an area without running water or paved streets. Sixty-six years after his birth, hardship remains visible on the faces of those queueing for food.“People are going hungry,” said Maria Torres, one of the centre’s cooks, who believes Maradona would approve of his childhood home’s charitable repurposing.#Photos #Maradonas #childhood #home #soup #kitchenGallery, News, Sport, Food, Football, Human Rights, Poverty and Development, Argentina, Latin America

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