A Nigerian Catholic priest based in Massachusetts, United States, has died after reportedly taking his own life days before he was due to return to Nigeria, where he had repeatedly expressed fears for his safety.
The Reverend Benjamin Okwy 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 since 2021.
His R-1 religious worker visa was due to expire on July 29.
However, his home Diocese of Abakaliki had instructed him to return to Nigeria before the visa expired ahead of a new assignment scheduled to begin on August 4.
According to the Boston Globe, Madu had repeatedly stated that he did not want to return to Nigeria.
In a farewell message published on his parish’s website and in remarks to parishioners shortly before his death, he said leaving the United States was not his choice but was the result of circumstances beyond his control.
The newspaper also reported that Madu suffered a panic attack while driving to celebrate Mass on the Sunday before his death and was treated at a hospital emergency department.
Boston Archbishop Richard Henning later informed fellow priests in an internal email that Madu had “tragically took his own life,” according to the National Catholic Register.
While the Archdiocese of Boston announced his death, it did not publicly state that it was a suicide.
The Essex County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that the Massachusetts State Police were investigating the death but said there was no indication of foul play.
Meanwhile, the US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition said Madu experienced severe emotional distress over the prospect of returning to a region where Catholic priests have increasingly become targets of kidnappings and killings.
In a statement shared with journalists, the coalition also linked his distress to the inability to renew his visa under current US immigration policies.
“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 said.
Born on May 15, 1972, Madu was ordained at St Theresa Cathedral in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
He had served in the Archdiocese of Boston for nearly six years under successive R-1 religious worker visas and was expected to celebrate his 25th anniversary as a priest on July 7, five days after his death.
According to the Boston Globe, Archdiocese spokesperson Terrence Donilon said there was no available option to extend Madu’s visa because of current US immigration policy affecting Nigeria.
Parishioners said Madu had openly spoken about his fears of returning to Nigeria due to the security challenges facing Catholic clergy.
One of them, Arlene Lesch of Holy Family Church, said she joined others in appealing to political leaders to help him remain in the United States.
Following his death, the US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition called on American authorities to suspend deportations of Nigerians and grant Temporary Protected Status to Nigerian nationals living in the country.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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