Nigeria Stops Release of Kenyan Singer Ruth Matete Husband’s Body as Autopsy Reveals Cause of Death

Kenyan gospel singer Ruth Matete’s Nigerian husband, Pastor John Apewajoye succumbed to multiple organ failure occasioned by the burn injuries he sustained in a fire incident, an autopsy has revealed.

The postmortem conducted by Chief Government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor on Thursday showed that Apewajoye suffered 60 percent burns.

“The burns lead to multiple body organ failure, which led to his death,” the autopsy report says.

Apewajoye, 42, died on April 11th at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), where he was receiving medication for burns he suffered while allegedly trying to fix a gas cylinder at their home in Great Wall estate in Athi River on March 30th.

The deceased was first rushed to Shallom Hospital for emergency treatment and later transferred to Bellevue South Hospital’s high dependency unit (HDU). He developed complications and was referred to KNH, where he passed away.

34-year-old Matete, who is two months pregnant, has been questioned twice by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), who are probing Apewajoye’s death.

Last week, Apewajowe’s manager and friend, Jessy Mcjessiey, a Nigerian, released a video claiming foul play into his sudden death. In the video, Jessy claimed that Matete had previously stabbed her husband on different occasions and had threatened to kill him.

“Ruth was very violent to John. And Ruth, you can look me into the eyes and say if am telling a lie. You have stubbed John not ones, not twice. The first time I came to know about the stubbing issue was during my visit to their Greatwall estate in Athi River. Ruth, you stabbed him. You almost killed him. I was there recording everything,” said Jessy.

The Nigerian embassy in Nairobi has asked the DCI and KNH not to release his body for burial until they get instructions from the Nigerian government.

“The high commission wished to state that, after the post mortem, the burial should be put on hold until it is in receipt of such directive from the Nigerian government while the mission awaits the conclusion of the investigations,” said Mahmud Lawal, the commission’s Head of Chancery in a letter.

Apewajoye’s death came barely six months after he tied the knot with Matete in November last year.