Reverend Benjamin Okwy Madu, a 54-year-old Nigerian Catholic priest serving in Massachusetts, died by suicide days after being directed to return to Nigeria, where he had previously expressed concerns about his safety.

Reverend Madu died at his residence in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, according to the Archdiocese of Boston. He had served as a hospital chaplain and parish priest on Cape Ann since 2021 while living in the United States under a religious worker visa.

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The case has drawn attention to the emotional and legal challenges surrounding immigration decisions, after reports that Madu had been instructed by his home diocese in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, to return ahead of a new assignment scheduled to begin in August.

His religious worker visa was due to expire on July 29, but reports said his diocese had requested that he return even earlier.

Madu had reportedly expressed reluctance about leaving the United States, citing fears about returning to Nigeria.

In a farewell message shared with parishioners before his death, Madu wrote that returning home was not his choice but that circumstances beyond his control had brought his time in America to an end.

The priest’s death came after what parishioners described as a period of significant emotional distress.

A member of his parish told the Boston Globe that Madu experienced a panic attack while driving to Mass the Sunday before his death and was treated at an emergency room.

Boston Archbishop Richard Henning informed fellow priests that Madu had tragically taken his own life, according to reports from the National Catholic Register.

The Archdiocese of Boston’s public statement confirmed his death but did not publicly describe the circumstances.

The Essex County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Madu’s death was being investigated by Massachusetts State Police, while authorities said there was no indication of foul play.

The US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition said Madu experienced severe emotional pressure over the possibility of returning to a country where some Catholic clergy members have faced attacks, kidnappings and killings.

The group linked his distress to immigration restrictions affecting Nigerians seeking to remain in the United States.

“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 in Nigeria on May 15, 1972, Madu was ordained at St Theresa Cathedral in Abakaliki and was approaching his 25th anniversary as a priest, which would have been marked on July 7, just days after his death.

He had worked within the Archdiocese of Boston for nearly six years through consecutive R-1 religious worker visas.

According to reports, church officials said there was no available route to extend his visa further under current US immigration policies affecting Nigeria.

Madu had previously spoken about his concerns regarding returning to Nigeria, where Catholic priests and other religious figures have been targeted in security incidents in recent years.

Following his death, parishioners and advocacy groups have called for greater attention to the challenges faced by migrants, religious workers and foreign nationals navigating uncertain immigration pathways.

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The circumstances surrounding Reverend Madu’s death have prompted wider discussions about mental health support, immigration policy and the pressures experienced by people facing sudden changes in their legal status.