A Nigerian Catholic priest, Reverend Benjamin Okwy Madu, has died in Massachusetts, United States, in what church officials described as a suspected suicide, days before he was due to return to Nigeria following the expiration of his religious worker visa.
Father Madu, 54, died on July 2 at his residence in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, according to the Archdiocese of Boston, where he had served as a hospital chaplain and parish priest on Cape Ann since 2021.
His religious worker visa was scheduled to expire on July 29. However, his home Diocese of Abakaliki had directed him to return to Nigeria ahead of the expiration date to assume a new pastoral assignment beginning on August 4.
Reports indicated that the priest had repeatedly expressed fears about returning to Nigeria, citing worsening insecurity and concerns over the safety of Catholic clergy, many of whom have been victims of kidnappings and violent attacks in recent years.
In a farewell message posted on his parish’s website shortly before his death, Madu said his departure from the United States was not voluntary.
“I am returning not because I wish to, but because circumstances beyond my control have brought my time in the United States to an end,” he reportedly wrote.
According to the Boston Globe, Madu suffered a panic attack while driving to celebrate Mass just days before his death and was treated at a hospital emergency department.
Boston Archbishop Richard Henning later informed fellow priests of the tragedy in an internal email, stating that Father Madu had taken his own life. While the Archdiocese confirmed his death publicly, it did not specify suicide as the cause.
The Essex County District Attorney’s Office said the Massachusetts State Police are investigating the incident, adding that there was no indication of foul play.
Reacting to the development, the US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition alleged that Madu experienced severe emotional distress over the prospect of returning to Nigeria, where Catholic priests have increasingly faced security threats.
In a statement, the coalition argued that uncertainty surrounding his immigration status and the inability to renew his visa under current U.S. immigration policies affecting Nigerian religious workers compounded his distress.
“The tragic death of Father Benjamin Okwy Madu highlights the emotional burden faced by some religious workers confronted with forced departures despite genuine fears for their safety,” the group said.
Born on May 15, 1972, in Nigeria, Madu was ordained a Catholic priest at St. Theresa Cathedral in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. He was just days away from marking the 25th anniversary of his priestly ordination, which would have been celebrated on July 7.
The Boston Globe also reported that Archdiocese spokesperson Terrence Donilon said there was no available legal pathway to extend Madu’s visa under existing U.S. immigration rules.
Parishioners described the priest as deeply committed to his ministry and said efforts were made to seek assistance from political leaders in the hope of allowing him to remain in the United States. Those appeals, however, were unsuccessful.
Authorities have continued their investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
