Nigerian priest commits suicide in US after order to return home

Nigerian Catholic priest, Rev. Benjamin Madu, has reportedly died by suicide in the United States after he was directed to return to Nigeria following issues surrounding the renewal of his religious worker visa.

Madu, a priest of the Diocese of Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, died recently after serving for several years as a hospital chaplain and parish priest in Massachusetts.

His death was announced by Father Jim Achadinha, pastor of the Catholic community of Gloucester and Rockport, who described it as a “devastating loss.”

Achadinha said that Madu “served Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish with true joy, kindness, and generosity.”

Authorities and church officials have not officially disclosed the cause of his death. However, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office said investigators found no evidence of foul play.

A person familiar with the matter told NBC News that Madu died by suicide. The source added that he had travelled to Nigeria during the holiday periods in both 2024 and 2025.

Archbishop Richard Henning of the Archdiocese of Boston also paid tribute to the late priest, extending “our prayers and heartfelt condolences to his family, brother priests and friends in Nigeria as well as the many people Fr. Benjamin Madu ministered to here in Cape Ann and at Salem Hospital.”

According to the archdiocese, Madu had served as a hospital chaplain since 2021. Tuesday would have marked the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, which took place at St. Theresa Cathedral in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

Church officials said Madu was expected to leave the United States this month after his R-1 religious worker visa approached its July 29 expiration date. Although he had intended to remain until the end of July, his home diocese instructed him to return to Nigeria in early July.

Under U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulations, Madu was required to leave the country before renewing his visa. While the department has removed an earlier rule requiring R-1 visa holders to wait one year before reapplying, immigration restrictions affecting Nigeria limited the church’s ability to secure his continued stay in the United States.

Before his planned departure, Madu shared a farewell message with parishioners through the Gloucester and Rockport parishes’ website, reflecting on his ministry and the circumstances surrounding his return home.

“Sincerely, it is not my wish to return home right now, but circumstances beyond my control have warranted that my time in the United States come to an end. My heart is broken, yet my joy remains,” he wrote, adding that he’d gladly return to minister and will miss the community.

His planned departure had surprised many members of the congregation, who affectionately referred to him as “Father Ben.”

Church leaders said Madu ministered at St. Ann’s and Our Lady of Good Voyage in Gloucester, as well as St. Joachim’s in Rockport, while serving as a chaplain at Salem Hospital, where he provided spiritual support to patients and their families during difficult times.