A Nigerian Catholic priest residing in Massachusetts is presumed to have died by suicide shortly after being instructed to leave the United States and return to Nigeria. He admitted that the country caused him intense dread.
Reverend Benjamin Okwi Madu, aged 54, passed away on July 2 at his home in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. The Archdiocese of Boston reported that he had been working as a chaplain at a hospital since 2021 and served as a parish priest in Cape Ann.
His religious worker visa was set to expire on July 29. As reported by the Boston Globe, his home Diocese of Abakaliki had instructed him to return to Nigeria before the visa expiration so he could begin a new job on August 4.
Everyone who knew Madu noted a clear trace of fear clouding his thoughts about the necessity of leaving. In farewell speeches addressed to parishioners and in a final message on his parish website, Madu pleaded not to send him home, describing how he was being carried out of the United States by a force far beyond his control.
On Sunday before his death, Madu experienced a panic attack while traveling to mass and was taken to the emergency room. One parishioner confirmed this account to the Boston Globe.
Archbishop Richard Henning informed other priests via internal email that Madu had 'tragically taken his own life,' according to a report noticed by the National Catholic Register and published on Monday. However, the Archdiocese's official statement regarding his death did not classify it as suicide.
The Office of the District Attorney for Essex County, Paul Tucker, confirmed that Madu's death is under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police, but the representative stated that there were no suspicions of third-party involvement.
The US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition stated this week that Madu 'suffered from severe emotional pain and panic due to returning to a place where Catholic priests are frequently kidnapped and killed.' This group blamed his death on the suspended process for visa renewal under current US immigration rules.
Madu was ordained at St. Theresa's Cathedral in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. He was due to celebrate 25 years of priestly service on July 7, five days after his passing. He served in the Archdiocese of Boston for almost six years, using consecutive R-1 religious worker visas. His last visa expired on July 29.
According to the Boston Globe, Archdiocese representative Terence Donilon stated that due to current US immigration regulations, there was no possibility of renewing Madu's visa for Nigeria. Madu publicly shared his fear of returning to Nigeria, asserting that priests there have faced kidnappings and murders in recent years.
According to Vatican News, in a Fides Agency report for 2025, it was noted that between 2015 and 2025, 145 priests were kidnapped in Nigeria, 11 of whom were killed, with eleven people deceased and four remaining missing.
Arlene Lash, a parishioner of Holy Family Church, told the Boston Globe that she was one of many who appealed to politicians to help Madu stay in the US. Last week, a coalition of Nigerian diaspora and Christian human rights groups issued a joint statement calling on US authorities to halt the deportation of Nigerians and grant temporary protective status to Nigerian citizens in the US, citing these concerns.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is actively expanding its domestic law enforcement efforts and deportation operations, deploying hundreds of new personnel across the country.
According to a representative of the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), search and rescue operations are ongoing in Jigawa State. Preliminary estimates suggest that about 40 people were on board the vessel.
A representative of the Nigerian Police, Shiyisu Adam, reported that the vessel sank while crossing the river, and up to 40 people drowned, including women and children. Official data confirms the discovery of six bodies.
Authoritative sources indicate that such incidents involving ship sinkings frequently occur in Nigeria. The main causes are overloading of vehicles and inadequate regulation of water transport. The situation is exacerbated by passengers often refusing to use life jackets, which increases mortality rates during accidents.
Previously, in January, an incident occurred in the northeastern part of the country, in Yobe State, resulting in the death of at least 25 people due to a ship sinking on the river.
