A 54-year-old Nigerian Catholic priest serving in Massachusetts, USA, has died by suicide after being ordered to return to Nigeria—a homeland where he repeatedly feared his life would be in danger.

The Reverend Benjamin Okwy Madu died on July 2, 2026, at his residence in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. His death occurred just five days before his 25th priestly ordination anniversary. It also came weeks before his R-1 religious worker visa was set to expire on July 29.

Father Madu had served for nearly six years in the Archdiocese of Boston as a hospital chaplain and parish priest. Boston Archdiocese officials confirmed there was no legal path left to extend his visa due to rigid US immigration policies.

Compounding the pressure, his home Diocese of Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, ordered him to return earlier than his visa expiration date. He was expected back to start a new assignment on August 4. In a final farewell message on his parish website, Madu wrote that leaving was not his wish, citing "circumstances beyond my control."

The target of regular security threats against clergy in Nigeria weighed heavily on the priest. According to parishioners, Madu suffered a severe panic attack while driving to Mass the Sunday before his death and required emergency room treatment.

While the Archdiocese`s public statement omitted the cause of death, Boston Archbishop Richard Henning confirmed in an internal email to priests that Madu "tragically took his own life." The Massachusetts State Police are currently investigating the incident, though foul play is not suspected.

Following the tragedy, the US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition issued a sharp rebuke of the immigration systems involved. The group stated that Madu faced "acute emotional distress" over returning to a region where Catholic clergy are actively targeted for kidnapping and assassination.

Advocacy groups and Nigerian diaspora organisations are now using this tragedy to demand policy changes. They have jointly called on United States authorities to halt deportations to Nigeria and immediately grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Nigerian nationals currently residing in the US.