Toronto Sisters Accused of Scamming Nigerian Billionaire Upset About Their Reputation

The last time we heard from Instagram-famous Toronto sisters Jyoti and Kiran Matharoo publicly was at the end of December in the form of an apology video. The Matharoos are accused of extorting and cyberbullying a Nigerian man named Femi Otedola, whose net worth is an estimated $1.2 billion.

But this week, the two—now back home in Canada—spoke to the media for the first time in months. And according to the sisters, things went down in a way that does not exactly match the narrative widely dispersed about them.

The two claim they were "framed" to cover up a "national embarrassment."

"I think the stain on our reputation will never be cleared," Jyoti told CTV Toronto. "The way the media reported it, they called us sex workers, prostitutes… I've never done anything like that. I've never blackmailed anyone, never extorted anyone."

The Matharoos have previously been accused of owning and operating NaijaGistLive, a celebrity gossip site allegedly used to blackmail rich and famous people in Nigeria. When arrested in Lagos on December 14, the two say they were placed in a roofless holding cell for eight hours infested with rats and containing 11 other people. Then, they claim, they were taken to a hotel under police supervision, had their passports taken, and recorded their apology video in order to get their passports back.

In the apology video, Jyoti claimed the two were "not under duress" as part of their statement: "We created a platform called NaijaGistLive.com and .co where people can send in stories… Most stories were sent by close friends or associates of people being written about. The intention was not to hurt anyone or be malicious; the intention was not to extort anyone."

Afterwards, the Matharoos said, they did not get their passports back—instead, the Canadian embassy allegedly issued them emergency ones. The two returned to Canada on January 1, 2017.

"We just decided to speak because everyone thinks we're missing or dead or worse," Jyoti said.

The Matharoos have missed multiple court dates in Nigeria, leading to a warrant for their arrest. The two have another court date on May 22 in the country, but they have said they won't be returning to Nigeria.

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