Nigerian Priest Dies by Suicide After US Deportation Order
A Nigerian Catholic priest serving in Massachusetts died by suicide shortly after receiving a deportation order. The Archdiocese of Boston confirmed his death, which is currently under investigation by local authorities.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the intersection of immigration policy, mental health, and the pressures faced by religious workers in foreign jurisdictions.
A Nigerian Catholic priest in Massachusetts has died by suicide, days after being ordered to leave the United States and return to Nigeria, where he had repeatedly said he feared for his life. 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 religious worker visa was due to expire on July 29. According to Boston Globe, his home Diocese of Abakaliki had gone further, instructing him to return to Nigeria even sooner than that deadline, ahead of a new assignment scheduled to begin on August 4. Madu had reportedly made clear he did not want to go.
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