How Femi Otedola Took Down the Matharoo Sisters’ Alleged Sextortion Empire in Nigeria

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Toronto-based sisters Jyoti and Kiran Matharoo—dubbed the “Canadian Kardashians”—were once fixtures of Instagram luxury, showing off designer clothes, supercars, and jet-set lifestyles while rubbing shoulders with celebrities. But their glamorous facade came crashing down in Lagos in 2016 after they allegedly tried to blackmail Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola.

The sisters, who had first connected with Otedola around 2008, reportedly claimed to have compromising videos and photos of him and demanded millions of dollars to keep quiet. They were also accused of running NaijaGistLive, a scandal blog notorious for exposing the private lives of Nigeria’s wealthy and powerful. Police investigations later revealed the site allegedly doubled as an extortion platform, targeting more than 274 prominent figures across Africa.

Otedola, rather than paying up, alerted authorities. In December 2016, police stormed the sisters’ Lagos hotel, arresting them and seizing laptops, phones, and digital evidence. Prosecutors described the trove as proof of a vast “cyberbullying empire.”

Charged with extortion, cyberstalking, blackmail, and conspiracy, the Matharoos spent weeks in jail under tough conditions. They eventually struck a deal in court: pay Otedola $5,000 in compensation, issue a public apology, shut down NaijaGistLive, and promise never to return to Nigeria. Their viral apology video, filmed in Lagos, showed them looking visibly shaken as they admitted to the blackmail attempt.

Although they later claimed the apology was forced under duress after returning to Canada, their lawsuits failed to gain traction. Otedola emerged unscathed, his reputation strengthened as a billionaire who stood firm against extortion attempts.

Since then, the Matharoos have mostly disappeared from the spotlight. NaijaGistLive vanished, and the once-flamboyant sisters now live more quietly—proof that in Nigeria’s high-stakes elite circles, even global socialites risk losing it all when they go up against the country’s most powerful.