Nigerian Catholic Priest in Massachusetts Dies by Suicide After Forced Return Order
The Rev. Benjamin Okwy Madu, 54, who served as a parish priest and hospital chaplain in the Archdiocese of Boston since 2021, was found dead at his Lynnfield home on July 2. His R-1 religious worker visa was due to expire later in the month, but his home Diocese in Abakaliki ordered his early return to Nigeria. Madu had publicly warned that he feared for his life if sent back, citing recent kidnappings and assassinations of clergy in parts of Nigeria. A panic attack on the Sunday before his death landed him in a local emergency room, according to parishioners. Massachusetts State Police are investigating the death, though foul play is not suspected. A US-Nigeria civil society coalition linked Madu’s acute emotional distress to rigid visa restrictions and security threats in his home country.
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