‎US-based Nigerian priest kills self after being ordered to return home ‎

‎A Nigerian Catholic priest serving in the United States has died by suicide after being directed to return to Nigeria following the expiration of his religious worker visa, church officials and media reports have confirmed.
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‎Rev. Fr. Benjamin Madu, a priest of the Diocese of Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, died on July 2 in Massachusetts, where he had served as a hospital chaplain and ministered in several Catholic parishes since 2021. He was 54 years old.
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‎According to church authorities, Madu had been preparing to leave the United States after his visa renewal efforts were unsuccessful. Reports indicated that he had expressed deep concern about returning to Nigeria, citing security challenges facing Catholic clergy in parts of the country.
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‎In a farewell message published before his death, the priest reportedly said it was not his wish to return to Nigeria at the time but that circumstances beyond his control had brought his ministry in the United States to an end.
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‎Boston Archbishop Richard Henning informed fellow priests that Madu had taken his own life, according to reports by US media outlets. Local authorities said there was no indication of foul play.
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‎The news has sparked grief among parishioners and colleagues in Massachusetts, where Madu was widely regarded as a dedicated and compassionate priest. Church leaders described his death as a devastating loss to the communities he served.
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‎His home Diocese of Abakaliki also expressed shock over the incident, with church officials saying they were still processing the sudden loss of a priest who had served the Catholic Church for nearly 25 years.
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