Two Toronto sisters accused of extorting and cyberbullying a Nigerian billionaire say their intent was never to “hurt anyone or be malicious.”
In a video posted to YouTube on Thursday, Jyoti and Kiran Matharoo apologized to Femi Otedola and his family for their actions but say that they did not intend to “extort anyone.”
“We created a platform called NaijaGistLive.com and .co where people can send in stories,” one of the sisters said. “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. We haven’t received any money from this website. We are again very sorry and we assure all of the petitioners that we will not have any affiliation whatsoever with this website or any other website that has to do with this.”
The sisters, who have been accused of trying to blackmail Otedola with claims they had evidence of him cheating on his wife, are currently detained in Lagos, Nigeria.
The sisters are also reportedly accused of cyberbullying more than 200 other people based in various regions of Africa.
In the video posted on Thursday, both sisters are seen standing beside one another dressed in black. One of the sisters then appears to read the apology from a cellphone she is holding while the other remains silent.
The sister who spoke said that they “freely volunteered” to make the video and did not do so “under duress” as they are “aware of the damages done to people.”
Global Affairs Canada has previously told CTV News that consular services are being provided to “the Canadian citizens who have been detained in Lagos, Nigeria.” However, the agency has not provided any more details, such as detained individuals’ identities, citing privacy concerns.
The Matharoo sisters both have tens of thousands of followers on Instagram.
