A Nigerian Catholic priest serving in Massachusetts, United States, has died by suicide after reportedly receiving instructions to leave the country and return to Nigeria, where he had repeatedly expressed concerns about his safety.
The late Reverend Benjamin Okwy Madu, aged 54, was found dead on July 2 at his home in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, according to information released by the Archdiocese of Boston, where he had worked as a hospital chaplain and parish priest serving the Cape Ann community since 2021.
Father Madu was serving under a religious worker visa that was due to expire on July 29.
According to a report by the Boston Globe, his home Diocese of Abakaliki in Ebonyi State had directed him to return to Nigeria even before the visa expiration date, ahead of a new pastoral assignment scheduled to begin on August 4.
Reports indicated that the priest had made it clear on several occasions that he did not wish to return to Nigeria.
During an address to parishioners in June and in a farewell message published on his parish’s website shortly before his death, Madu acknowledged that leaving the United States was not his personal decision.
Returning to Nigeria, he wrote, was not what he wanted, “but circumstances beyond my control have warranted that my time in the United States come to an end.”
Parishioners disclosed that the Sunday before his death, Father Madu experienced a severe panic attack while driving to celebrate Mass and had to be taken to a hospital emergency department for medical attention.
Boston Globe quoted one of the parishioners as saying the incident reflected the emotional burden he had been carrying over his expected return to Nigeria.
According to reports, Boston Archbishop Richard Henning informed fellow priests of the development through an internal email, stating that Madu had “tragically took his own life.”
The email was reportedly obtained by the National Catholic Register.
However, the official public statement issued by the Archdiocese of Boston announcing his death did not specify that it was a suicide.
Meanwhile, the Office of Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker confirmed that the Massachusetts State Police had commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Madu’s death.
Authorities, however, stated that there was currently no indication of foul play.
Reacting to the incident, the US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition described the priest’s death as a tragic consequence of emotional trauma associated with his planned deportation.
In a statement circulated to journalists, including PUNCH Online, the coalition alleged that Father Madu suffered severe psychological distress over the possibility of returning to southeastern Nigeria, where Catholic priests have increasingly become targets of kidnappers and violent attacks.
The coalition also argued that restrictions surrounding the renewal of religious worker visas under current US immigration policies contributed significantly to the circumstances leading to his death.
“The terrifying reality of these rigid restrictions was made plain on July 2, 2026, when Father Benjamin Okwy Madu, a beloved 54-year-old Nigerian Catholic priest serving the North Shore of Massachusetts, tragically took his own life,” the coalition stated.
Father Madu was born on May 15, 1972, in Nigeria and was ordained a Catholic priest at St. Theresa Cathedral, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
He would have celebrated the 25th anniversary of his priestly ordination on July 7, just five days after his death.
The late cleric had ministered within the Archdiocese of Boston for nearly six years under consecutive R-1 religious worker visas.
His latest visa was scheduled to expire on July 29.
Boston Globe further quoted Archdiocese spokesperson Terrence Donilon as explaining that there was no available legal pathway to extend Madu’s visa because of existing US immigration regulations affecting Nigerian applicants.
Before his death, Father Madu had reportedly spoken openly about his fear of returning to Nigeria, citing the growing insecurity confronting Catholic clergy, particularly incidents involving kidnappings and killings.
One of his parishioners, Arlene Lesch of Holy Family Church, said members of the church community had appealed to political leaders and government officials in an effort to secure permission for Father Madu to remain in the United States.
Following the incident, the US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition and several Christian advocacy organisations renewed their call on the US government to suspend deportations involving Nigerian nationals.
The coalition also urged American authorities to designate Nigeria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), arguing that worsening insecurity in parts of the country justifies humanitarian protection for Nigerians currently residing in the United States.
