Operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) in collaboration with soldiers have rescued Reverend Father Alphonsus Afina and 10 women on Monday in Borno State.
Father Afina together with the women were kidnapped in Gworza, Borno State on June 1, 2025 by Boko Haram.
The incident attracted global attention, as the Priest had served in Alaska, US, from September 2017 through 2024.
He was kidnapped alongside the women at the time and an unspecified number of fellow travelers on the Liman Kara- Gwoza road in Gwoza LGA of Borno State.
Catholic Bishop of Maiduguri Diocese, John Bakeni, has lauded the DSS and the Nigerian Army for successfully rescuing the victims.
Bishop Bakeni, who doubles as the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Borno State, praised the operatives who rescued the 11 persons unhurt, saying the Catholic community worldwide was excited at news that Father Afina was rescued after nearly two months in captivity.
The Bishop said Father Afina was travelling from Mubi, Adamawa State, to Maiduguri, when his vehicle was ambushed at a military checkpoint after a rocket-propelled grenade struck one of the vehicles in his convoy, killing one occupant.
Meanwhile, DSS officers in Zamfara State, also with support from troops of the Nigerian Army, last week rescued 32 kidnap victims in Shinkafi LGA of the state.
Umoru Faruk Salifu
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