Canadian sisters, Jyoti and Kiran Matharoo, arrested in Nigeria for allegedly trying to blackmail Forte Oil chairman, Femi Otedola, have re-emerged on the social scene two years after their ordeal.
The Kardashian-wannabes from Toronto were accused of trying to extort Otedola by telling him they would reveal that he was cheating on his wife if he did not hand them money.
They were arraigned before a Yaba Magistrate’s Court on December 23, 2016 on charges which include blackmail and cyberstalking.
Both women were also accused of running the website Naijagistlive, which was used to accuse several high-ranking men of cheating and patronising prostitutes.
In a confessional video made to secure their freedom, the sisters said: “We apologise to Femi Otedola and his family, especially his wife and children and all the other petitioners.
“We created a platform called NaijaGistLive.com 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 to be malicious. The intention was not to extort anyone. We haven’t received any money from this website.”
But in a recent interview with New York Times, the sisters said they were “kidnapped” in Nigeria and forced to admit to crimes they did not commit because they were afraid.
They said they were driven in a van to a police station and thrown in a rat-infested cell with foam on the floors for beds and holes in the ground for toilets.
The Otedola experience does not seem to have deterred them from the lavish lifestyle.
Though unemployed, the Matharoo sisters own more than 70 pairs of designer high-heeled shoes and spend their days jetting to various sun traps around the globe to lounge on multi-million dollar yachts.
The sisters have walk-in wardrobes in their paid-off Toronto condos lined with dozens of handbags and purses from brands like Hermès, Celine, and Saint Laurent – all of which they proudly boast they didn’t pay for.
They have three pieces of advice for anyone looking to find a man with deep pockets. Their number one rule is “don’t be greedy.”
“When he asks what kind of car you want, don’t ask for a Rolls-Royce,’ Jyoti told the New York Times.
Secondly, the girls say you must dress conservatively while travelling on the billionaire’s private planes, something they call “jetiquette”.
“You don’t want to look like some guy hired a hooker for a weekend,” Kiran said.
And finally, the Matharoos say, when the man hands you thousands of dollars for a luxury shopping spree, you must bring him back some change.
This may reassure them that you’re not in it entirely for the money.
Global Affairs Canada, a Canadian government department that manages the country’s diplomatic relations, provided consular services which enabled the sisters to travel out of Nigeria in 2016.
Part of the deal then was that they should not return to the country.
