A Nigerian Catholic priest serving in the United States has died in Massachusetts, days after being directed to leave the country and return to Nigeria, where he had publicly 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 on Cape Ann since 2021. His R-1 religious worker visa was due to expire on July 29.
Reports indicate that Madu’s home Diocese of Abakaliki in Ebonyi State had instructed him to return to Nigeria ahead of the visa expiry, assigning him to resume a new pastoral role on August 4. According to the Boston Globe, the priest had repeatedly stated that he did not want to return to Nigeria because of concerns for his personal safety.
In a farewell message published on his parish’s website shortly before his death, Madu acknowledged that leaving the United States was not his decision.
“Returning home was not my wish, but circumstances beyond my control have warranted that my time in the United States come to an end,” he wrote.
According to parishioners, Madu experienced 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 the priest had died by suicide. While the Archdiocese confirmed his death publicly, it did not disclose the cause.
The Essex County District Attorney’s Office said the death remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police, adding that there is no indication of foul play.
Reacting to the incident, the US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition said Madu had suffered severe emotional distress over the prospect of returning to Nigeria, where Catholic clergy have increasingly become targets of kidnappings and violent attacks in recent years. The coalition also linked the situation to the inability to renew his visa under current US immigration policies affecting Nigerians.
Born on May 15, 1972, Madu was ordained at St. Theresa Cathedral, Abakaliki, in Ebonyi State. He had served in the Archdiocese of Boston for nearly six years under successive religious worker visas and was just five days away from celebrating his 25th anniversary in the priesthood before his death.
The coalition has since called on US authorities to suspend deportations of Nigerians and consider granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to eligible Nigerian nationals residing in the United States.
