Scamfluencers - ENCORE: Gossip Girls | Part II

Episode Date: March 10, 2025

The Matharoo sisters have gone from globe-trotting tastemakers to detained prisoners. Stuck in an airport hotel without their passports or phones, they decide to take matters into their own hands – and hatch a bold escape plan. Before long, their story goes from local gossip fodder to an international scandal. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to Scamfluencers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/scamfluencers/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to Scamfluencers early and ad free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or Apple podcasts. This is part two of our two-part series, Gossip Girls. If you haven't listened to the first episode yet, that is a really chaotic decision, and I highly recommend you go back and listen to part one. Sarah, hello. Hey, honey. I think I know the answer to this question,

but I'm gonna ask it anyway. Were you the type of kid who like, snuck out at night without your parents knowing, and you like, got up to some mischief, you know, back in Canada, you tipped some cows, you did donuts in a Tim Hortons parking lot? Tell me all about it. Okay, Sachi, two things.

All right. You're assuming that I had the kind of friends who were cool enough to sneak out. Right. And second of all, no, are you kidding me? The fear of God was in me. I'm still scared of my parents. If I would have done that, I wouldn't be here today.

Well, this is why I think this story is so interesting about the Mothroos, because they had upbringings like we did, and yet they're out and about. They have all these daring escapes. I know, it's like low-key inspiring. Well, this episode is the most of everything. And Sarah, I cannot wait to tell you all about it. It's December 2016 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Kieran Mathrew and her sister Jothi have just spent a traumatic night in a crowded jail cell. Remember, cops barged into their hotel room, took their phones and passports, and carted them off to prison. They're accused of running Nyjah Just Live, a vicious gossip blog, even though they've been talked about on the blog, and it's written in Pidgin, a language that they don't actually speak. And now, police have relocated Jothi and Karen to an airport hotel. Their room is dark and cramped. It's got that airport hotel thing where staying there for one night is convenient, but any longer than that risks sucking out your soul. There's one bed, a small TV, and a couple of chairs with a small side table.

It's not literally prison, but it sucks. Okay, compared to where they were in jail, they must be so happy to be at this hotel. Well, luckily, when police first barged into their hotel room, Jyothi called a friend. And that person thought to send one of their associates down to the jail. This associate, it's a guy we're going to call John, he volunteered to be the sister's surety. A surety is kind of like a bail bondsman, someone assigned to make sure that the sisters show up for court hearings and don't flee the country. Here's Jyothi. He's an older man, very, very happy. Like I've never met anybody like him. And he actually

cheered us up half the time we were there. When I was crying, he would be like, stop crying. Nobody's seeing your tears. Why are you wasting them? Like that was his attitude. John is a local who's got ties to the police force, and he becomes an ally to the Matheroos, someone who really keeps them going. And on their first night there, John pulls a pretty slick move. As Kieran

tells it... Basically, he told one of the guards, like, hey, you know, why don't you eat something, have some beers on me? It's on me. And he, so the guard started drinking beers. He had about seven star beers, which is a lot. This is like a cartoon, like a cartoon way to distract a prison guard. Get him real drunk and then he'll fall asleep and you can sneak out with your old timey key.

Yeah, so the sisters say that at this point the officer passes out on the table and then John says, grab your things. And it may seem like they should just get the hell out of Nigeria, but the cops took their passports and without them, they can't leave the country. Plus, if they go on the run, they could put John at risk. So they're on the clock. They've got to find a way to help and get back to the airport hotel before the officer wakes up. John drives them back to their original hotel in the bougie Victoria Island neighborhood of Lagos.

And there, Jothi's finally able to borrow a phone to call the Canadian Consulate. The sisters talk to a consulate worker who swears he's taking notes, which is not exactly confidence boosting stuff. Oh, the bureaucracy of Canada. The sisters just asked that Canada send a representative to the court to be sure that their rights are protected and also so that someone knows where they are. And the consulate worker says, yes, okay, they'll have someone give them a call, be sure that their rights are protected, and also so that someone knows where they are. And the consulate worker says,

yes, okay, they'll have someone give them a call, even though they had just explained that they don't even have their phones. The Mathur sisters are thousands of miles from home, and at this point, it's pretty clear that the only thing they can rely on is their wits. with. You just realized your business needed to hire someone like yesterday. With Indeed, there's no need to stress.

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Come and give me your attention. I won't ever learn my lesson. Tell my speaker, 2-11. I feel like a legend. In our last episode, we talked to Jothi and Kieran Mathuru, Canadian sisters who have mastered the art of dating billionaires. Just like me and Sarah, obviously. And some gossip blogs say that they're scamming their boyfriends. But the real scam starts when a supposedly jealous ex, Femi Otidola, allegedly gets the cops to detain the sisters on bogus charges.

The sisters are used to being talked about, but now they have to confront the most explosive accusation yet—that they are behind one of the country's most notorious gossip blogs. And Sarah, it's one hell of a story. This is the finale of our two-part series, Gossip Girls. A couple of days after their call to the Canadian consulate, Jothi and Kiran are back in their airport hotel room. Officer Philip Adebowale shows up again. He's the Nigerian police officer who questioned them originally, and he tells them he's taking them back to their original hotel, the Echo Signature in Victoria Island, but only so that they can get dressed up and put on

makeup. And they really have no choice but to do what he says. So they arrive at the Echo Hotel. And as you can imagine, getting dolled up with a police officer watching is, well, it's not the most relaxing experience. And they're not prepping for a night out clubbing. Officer Philip has another destination in mind. Femi Otidola's house. That's not freedom, but I guess it's getting out of jail?

It's an activity, let's say. So Kieran's ex, Femi, is a multimillionaire who made his money in petroleum. He's the guy who named his yacht after his wife and then allegedly brought his mistresses there. Very cool. And he only uses an old Nokia phone because he is paranoid as hell. The sisters say that he is next level petty and will stop at nothing to settle scores. So they have a feeling that the policemen are holding them hostage at Femi's request. And I should say here, we reached out to Femi

through his company and he did not respond to an email seeking comment. Okay, so back to the story. The sisters roll up to Femi's mansion and it reminds Jothi of a mansion in Miami, like the one in Scarface. It's a place that she and her sister have been before many times when Femi and Kieran

were dating. But tonight, the house seems eerie. Things are off. Kieran and Jothi are brought into Femi's all-white living room. There's a wall with all of his accolades, magazines with his face on the covers, and a small replica of the Nana, his $12 million yacht. Femi comes and sits down in the living room, and he's acting like he has nothing to do with this.

He's like, oh, I hear you're in some trouble. That's Jothi describing the scene. She says that Femi offers them drinks and casually reveals that he called the guy Kieran's currently dating. Here's Kieran. I really think he was enjoying it, because when he told me that he called my boyfriend,

he was grinning, like, in such a weird way, like, openly saying, like, oh, I called him was enjoying it, because when he told me that he called my boyfriend, he was grinning like in such a weird way, like openly saying like, oh, I called him, you know, just to let him know what's going on. I called him and I wanted to let him know. Yeah, that's the tone. This guy is scary. I know everything about this is just bizarre. And it's extremely stressful for the sisters, as you can imagine. But they also know that Femi is just like this.

Jyothi says that everything with Femi was always some dramatic scene. They tell Femi they have nothing to do with Nyjah just live. And Femi says he believes them. He promises that he'll call the police commissioner and have them release their passports. The sisters say he's trying to play it both ways. To deny that he has anything to do with their situation.

And to be the hero. But he's also giving them dark warnings. Even threats. He says he could have the sisters locked up for years if they don't cooperate. He tells them about the time he locked a journalist in his kitchen for days as punishment for unfavorable coverage. And he adds, Marilyn Monroe was killed because she knew too much about a Kennedy. I am floored. This is a scary movie to me. Yes. It's so eerie. But regardless, Jothi hopes that maybe Femi can help them out. But Kiran tells her he's

lying. There's nobody left they can trust. They can't rely on the police. Femi's got them wrapped around his finger. And it still crickets from the Canadian consulate. And now their scandal is about to break the internet and become front page news on the gossip blogs. After their meeting with Femi, Jothi and Kan are shuttled back to the hotel near the airport, where they're being constantly watched. The sisters keep their suitcases packed at all times, just in case the police make them switch rooms again.

And they're forced to eat the same crummy hotel meals over and over again. Instant noodles and rice, and breakfast sausages that are actually just hot dogs. But the girls don't have their phones or any other way to access the internet, and even the windows are sealed shut. The air is stale. They wait and wait and wait. Days go by. And the thing they thought would be a minor inconvenience is turning into an international

incident with no end in sight. The situation is extremely bleak and the sisters are gaming out every possible scenario but they can't see a way out. It's unclear when, if ever, they'll be released from police custody. More than a week into their hostage situation in the hotel, Officer Philip comes back. He tells the sisters that they're going to court and their first stop is the bank. That is not where you should be going before court. Yeah I mean it's not great. According to the sisters, Officer Philip tells them to withdraw a whole heap of money. Their understanding is they have to pay off

the prosecutor who will split this bribe with the judge. They've also got to pay off four bondsmen. And they have to pay bail. I'm putting bail in air quotes here, because at this point, Jothi and Kiran say they haven't even seen any paperwork. No charging papers, no lawyer. They don't know if any of this is actually happening through the courts, or if it's just people being influenced

by Femi to fuck with them. We weren't able to reach out to Officer Philip Adebowale, happening through the courts, or if it's just people being influenced by Femi to fuck with them. We weren't able to reach out to officer Philip Adebowale, but in an interview with the New York Times, he denied any collusion with Femi. As soon as the sisters step inside the courtroom, a photographer takes their picture. And those photos immediately show up on gossip blogs, with stories saying Jothi and Kiran were blackmailing Femi, one of the country's richest men.

Sarah, check out these photos. I'm guessing this is kind of like the courthouse or the prison. It looks like they're in some sort of official building. They're fully dressed down, like you've never seen them before. I wouldn't recognize them, to be honest. And I mean, it's clear they don't think their photo's being taken here. Like they're just sitting beside each other telling someone a story, it looks like. Yeah.

They just look a little lost. Yeah, exactly. Well, here's what Jothi says about their so-called court appearance. They took us to a back room in the courthouse. Everybody else was being called up by case number. We don't have a case number. They called us to the back room and the prosecutor gave the judge whatever he did or discussed it like I'll give it to you later,

and we left, that's it. Okay, let's just recap quickly. The sisters never meet with a lawyer, the court hearing is a little more than a gossip blog photo shoot, and the Canadian consulate is nowhere to be found. And just when it seems like it can't get any worse, the Mathur sisters meet someone else

who's accused of running the gossip blog, and he shows them just how bad it could get. In court, the sisters meet a web designer named Babatunde Oye-Badi. He's the other person accused of running Nyjah Just Live. He tells them he was hired to design the site by an anonymous person and that he's been held by police on and off for months.

And his was not an extended hotel stay. Here's Kieran and then Jyothi. He said that they like hung him upside down, beat him, all kinds of things. Because he wouldn't admit to owning something that he doesn't own. And he's local. So it's different for him than it is for us, you know?

They put him through a lot more than they put us through. Jothi and Kieran feel so bad for Babatunde. So according to the sisters, they pay part of his bail along with their own. Okay, so I don't really understand this whole bail-bribe thing. Like, they had to take money out for a bribe, but they're paying bail. Like, I just don't know what the difference is here. Yeah, I mean, the sisters tend to use bail and bribe interchangeably. And it seems like within the confines

of what they're dealing with in Nigeria, it is kind of the same thing, because they don't even know if they're actually arrested. Yeah, there's like no paperwork or anything at this point, right? Right. But even though the sisters are playing ball, they still don't have their passports.

They're brought back to the airport hotel that night. And listen, if you're tired of me taking us back and forth from this airport hotel in the story, imagine how they must feel. It's been nine days since the plainclothes officers first barged into their hotel and took them to the police station. They're nearly at their wits end.

But then, they catch a huge break. One of their guards takes pity on them, knowing that they must be bored out of their minds. Plus, it's December 26, so I can't imagine that this cop is thrilled to be working the day after Christmas. So he gives the sisters their phones back. Finally, Jothi and Kiran have access to the outside world. But they say that the guard who returned their phones warns them not to post anything on the internet. But there is a lot more that they can do. Sarah, what do you think is the first thing they do after they get their phones back? I'm gonna say post something on the internet. Actually, they call their parents. Oh, that's sweet.

That's sweet. I mean, wouldn't you? And they tell their folks not to believe anything they read online. Because word has gotten out that the sisters are being held. Outlets all over the world are carrying the story. Sarah, take a look at these headlines. Oh my God, This is crazy.

I mean, New York Post, Kardashian lookalike sisters accused of sex extortion, Toronto Sun, Toronto sisters in Nigerian sex scandal. And like there's the Buzzfeed one that says popular Instagram sisters arrested for attempting to extort a Nigerian billionaire. Well, the girls also check their email, and Jothi opens up one from the High Commission of Canada, also known as the Canadian Consulate, and the subject line is update on well-being.

Apparently, staffers at the Canadian Consulate have seen pictures of the sisters all over media, and now they wanna know, how can they help? Jothi tells them that they need temporary passports. So the next day when another board cop bails on guard duty, John, who's their bail bondsman guy, he takes the sisters to the consulate. There they apply for temporary passports. They fill out an application, provide a written statement, they give them four references and ask their parents to provide birth certificates. And the consulate says, cool, thanks.

We'll process this and get back to you soon. It's not like the movies, you know, where you run to the embassy and you're safe. Nobody could touch you. It's nothing like that. Nobody cares. Like if you're in another foreign country, it's their rules. Like don't try to do anything and think your embassy can help you because they literally have no power. So it's back to the airport hotel for Kiran and Jyoti.

Oh and while they're holed up with their phones they check out Nijah just live. And it's been updated while they've been detained without any electronics. But even that doesn't help the Matharu sisters case. And before long their story goes from being local gossip fodder to an international scandal. Hey everyone, Sachi here. And Sarah. You know those sketchy messages we all get, the job offers that seem too good to be true? Well, we thought we'd seen every type of scam out there, but this story completely blew our minds. Those messages? They're actually coming from people trapped inside heavily

guarded compounds forced to scam others at gunpoint. Scam Factory, Wendry's riveting new series, exposes a multi-billion dollar criminal empire operating in plain sight. And this isn't your typical social media scam. Inside these compounds, armed guards ensure the only way out is to scam your way out. And trust us, after covering countless scams, this story left even us shocked. Follow Scam Factory on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Scam Factory early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus. Hey, it's Amartinez. Scam Factory early and ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus.

Hey, it's Amartines. I work on a news show. And yeah, the news can feel like a lot on any given day. But you just can't ignore las noticias when important world-changing events are happening. So that is where the Up First podcast comes in. Every single morning in under 15 minutes, we take the news and boil it down

to three essential stories. Listen to the Up First podcast from NPR. Less than a week after their bogus court hearing, the sisters say there's a knock on their hotel room door. It's an associate of Femi's. Perched on the edge of the hotel bed, Femi's associate allegedly tells the sisters that he fully thinks they're guilty of running the website. But he knows a way out of this mess. If they just make an apology video and confess to owning the site, he says that he'll arrange to set them free.

So Jothi says that this associate threatened her and her sister. They said that if they didn't agree to film the confession, they'd be locked up in a maximum security prison. Kieran does not want to make the video. And in hindsight, Jothi sees her point. I wish we listened to you because she knew he was going to use it and post it online. But I like to think of a plan, you know how I am. So I like to have a backup backup plan. So mine was like, while the embassy is working on this, if they did give us our passports back, because obviously, even if you wanted to release the video, I'm like, who cares? Let it just happen and let's

get our passports. I mean, I do see it both ways. Like, either doing the video or not could both have the same bleak outcome. So it's like, all right, may as well just see if this will free us. Yeah, and they're scared. So they agree to a videotaped confession. Kieran stays silent, Jyothi reads from the Notes app. We apologize to Femiya Chidola and his family, especially his wife and children

and all the other petitioners. We created a platform called nijajislive.com and.co, where people can send in stories. Most stories were sent by close friends or associates of people being written about. The video is so eerie, Sarah. And now, knowing the whole backstory, it's almost hard to watch. They must have been so nervous and so afraid, even though they can laugh about the story now. Yeah, I could not imagine confessing to something that harmed my life so much. Yeah, but you didn't do.

They didn't do this and also it made their lives worse. Yeah. And after filming the video, the associate leaves and nothing changes. Their guard has balanced again, so John takes the girls to the consulate, where the Canadian officials tell them their emergency passports are still under review. The girls have had it. They're sick of this whole ordeal and the incompetence of their jailers

and home country officials. So they decide to take matters into their own hands. The next day, Officer Philip returns, and he says he isn't holding their passports anymore. The court has them. But honestly, at this point, why should they believe him? The sisters are sick of being lied to. And the cops? They're getting sick of this whole situation too. It's been more than two weeks, and Jothi suspects they have not been paid. To add insult to injury, Officer Philip has the audacity to sit there on his phone planning a New Year's party. Right in front of them! So rude! So Kieran kicks him out.

Kieran I'm kind of confused right now as to how their relationship with Officer Philip is or like just what they're able to do and not do, because they just kicked him out. I mean, it seems like all of the guards, I'm using that word very loosely here, are very much over this assignment and just come and go when they please. And so Jothi and Kieran review a list of lawyers

that the consulate gave them. Jothi picks a lawyer from the list, one who used to live in Canada. He comes to meet them and says that the consulate needs some proof of what's happened. Actual paperwork. So the sisters send this lawyer and John back to court with a wad of cash. They bribe a court clerk and finally get what they've wanted all along. The charging papers and Femi's case against the owner of Nijaj's live. And it is lousy with mistakes. It claims that Jothi and Kieran

conspired with Babatunde on the site, when they'd never even met him before. And it claims that they were in Nigeria, blackmailing and threatening to kidnap Femi the previous July, when actually Jothi and Kieran were in Miami back then. And the charging sheet? It doesn't even have a case number. There's no prosecutor listed, no date for arraignment or plea or bail. And most importantly, there are no bail conditions, no travel restrictions, so their passports are actually being held illegally. The lawyer gets in touch with the Canadian consulate immediately to book some FaceTime. And with his help, they explain the situation. And according to the sisters, the lawyer writes up

an official statement. And then, Karen asks about another option. I had found something else called an emergency travel certificate because for the temporary passport, it was under review and they weren't giving us any updates on it. So I got fed up too and I said, okay, if you can at least get us this,

it's a piece of paper basically that verifies that you're a Canadian citizen and you have to fly directly into Canada. Single entry. Single entry. And you hand it in when you land. So the next morning, they wake up to a bunch of missed calls from the consulate.

Their emergency travel document has been approved. The sisters are so relieved. And now the only thing standing between them and freedom is a ride to the airport. Consulate officials show up on New Year's Day to take the sisters to the airport. And the guards just let them go. It's been two weeks and Jothi suspects that they never got the payday they were hoping for. The sisters make the consulate workers stay at their side until they board the plane. And Jothi's thinking, what are we going to do to get out of here?

By this point, their story has become international news, and reporters are showing up at their parents' house. The sisters decide not to talk about their experience publicly. They want to let the dust settle, and they don't want to risk any harm coming to John, their bail bondsman back in Nigeria who helped them escape. But they don't stay put for too long. They're back to traveling again right away. They just don't post about it online. Are you kidding me? They're back to traveling? No, I'd be like I've had enough for the rest of my life. I've seen more than most people see in their lifetime. Well, Sarah, I have some news for you

because in late summer of 2017, Kieran gets the chance to take another trip. I was gonna go to Italy with just one of my friends. He said he needed to buy furniture for his Nigeria house. So we were gonna go for, I think, a week. Kieran says, yes, duh, I'll go to Italy. But Jothi has a bad feeling. She tells her sister, don't go.

Kieran doesn't want their experience to keep her from living her life. So she decides to go on the trip. And Sarah, that's when the nightmare begins all over again. Kieran lands in Italy in September 2017, about nine months after she left Nigeria. The Venice airport is modern and sleek, a contrast to the old world appeal of the ancient city. And Kieran can't wait to experience everything Venice has to offer, including luxury shopping.

But as she waits for her bags, an Italian customs officer approaches. Here's Kieran. They locked me in a room again, and my passport was taken away. They wouldn't answer my questions. They didn't speak English. They didn't tell me why I was there. And I was trying to just argue and say, like, is this about Nigeria? Because I have my paperwork and proof I can show it to you.

And they were just not hearing me. At the time, Kieran is in a full on panic. She can't believe that this could be happening to her again. Eventually, she does find out that there is a red notice on her passport from Interpol. What do you know about Interpol, Sarah? Well, I know that they're like world cops. So it's like it stands for International Criminal Police Organization. Yeah.

And it's just a way for law enforcement to work altogether so that they can arrest people. That's true. Well, Kieran is distraught, and this time she doesn't have Jothi there for support. Kieran's allowed to call her sister, but only briefly, and she tells Jothi that she's under arrest in Italy. And the Italian police whisk her away to a women's prison on a little ferry. Oh, Mamma Mia, here we go again. At least it's cute.

The prison is on Jodeca, an island in the Venetian lagoon. And it's inside an old convent. And thankfully, it is nothing like the SARS prison. The sisters were kept in that one night in Nigeria. Kirin's cell in the women's prison is a large shared room with six beds, high ceilings, a huge window, and a separate bathroom. They don't even have uniforms. The inmates are expected to wear their own clothes. But when they see the clothes Kirin has packed, the prison officials say they're too fancy. She has to rifle through a bin of donated clothes and underwear. For the first couple of weeks in prison, Kieran isn't allowed to call anyone.

She's assigned a lawyer, who doesn't speak English, and Kieran can only understand enough to know that her lawyer and the judge have her case all wrong. It is beyond frustrating. This is absolutely nuts. But luckily, back home in Toronto, Jyoti isn't waiting around. She finds a human rights lawyer in Italy who speaks fluent English,

and they figure out that Kiran's been detained because of the red notice on her passport. And now the Nigerian government has 40 days to produce paperwork proving that Kieran is wanted in relation to a crime. Her lawyer tells her that if the government comes through with the paperwork, she could be in prison for months. Oh my god.

And in the meantime, Kieran settles into a life at the women's prison. And one of her fellow inmates is a Nigerian woman who speaks Italian and English. She translates for Kieran and lends her some of her clothes, and she helps Kieran learn the ropes. The women in the prison exfoliate with coffee grounds, they use lemon on their scalps for dandruff, and they even do sugar waxing. Sarah, get this.

The women are actually allowed to cook their own meals at this prison. So they grow organic produce in what the locals call the Garden of Marvels. So Kieran channels her passion for food and cooks for herself and the inmates. Lots of pasta. That's not even an Italy joke, it's true. They even have Nutella in there. Sounds kind of like a daycare. Yeah, she's in forced Italian daycare.

But after all that waiting and uncertainty, the Nigerian government never files the documents. So on day 41 of her imprisonment, Kirin is released. She's allowed to fly home. But back home, there's just one problem. Both of the sisters' names are still on Interpol's watch list. If they ever want to get back to their jet-setting lifestyle, they've got to settle things with the international police once and for all. Hey, I'm Cassie DePeckel, the host of Wondery's podcast Against the Odds. In our next season,

I'm telling the story of four American rock climbers who were kidnapped by rebel militants in the remote mountains of Kyrgyzstan. The group was taken at gunpoint and forced to hike through brutal terrain under the cover of night to avoid detection by the Kyrgyz army. With little to no food or water provided by their captors, the young climbing team had to struggle through severe dehydration and hunger. Finally, they realized they would have to fight for their lives to escape. It's a thrilling story of survival in the face of violence and terror and doing whatever it takes to make it home alive.

Follow Against the Odds on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge the entire season ad free right now only on Wondery Plus. Start your free trial in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify today. What's up guys? It's your girl Kiki and my podcast is back with a new season. And let me tell you, it's too good. And I'm diving into the brains of entertainment's best and brightest, okay? Every episode I bring on a friend and have a real conversation. And I don't mean just friends, I mean the likes of Amy Poehler,

Kel Mitchell, Vivica Fox, the list goes on. And now I have my own YouTube channel. So follow, watch, and listen to Baby, This is Kiki Palmer on the Wondery app, or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch full episodes on YouTube, and you can listen to Baby, This is Kiki Palmer, early and at free, right now now by joining Wondery.

And where are my headphones? Cause it's time to get into it. Holla at your girl. Alright, so Interpol's watch list is basically a list of fugitives. It's people wanted in court or people who need to serve a sentence after they've been found guilty of a crime. When someone's added to the list, Interpol sends out what they call a red notice all over the world, which alerts police in almost 200 countries.

In 2017, the agency said it issued more than 13,000 red notices. The list has included people like Osama bin Laden and Joseph Kony. So it's a real who's who. Yeah, it is the greatest party you could ever be invited to. But the list is also used as a tool for oppressive governments looking to hunt down political refugees and dissidents. Jothi and Karen were more than a little shocked to learn that they'd made the list. Here's Jothi.

I always thought Interpol only took serious cases. I had no idea. I've only heard of it in like Bond movies, literally. So to be in this and fighting this notice just seems so silly that you could take a personal relationship, like a personal vendetta, and turn it into this case. For months, the sisters worked to clear their names from the database, all without the help of a lawyer. Jyoti just can't handle explaining everything to yet another legal representative, so she does it herself. And when we talked, she showed me her dossier of documents. It's

impressive. She's basically an international law expert at this point. I really respect her for trusting herself and taking matters into her own hands. I mean, dealing with lawyers and not knowing the legal system when you're truly going through shit must be hell. Uh, I wouldn't want to do it. So Jothi reaches back out to John. She sends him money and he comes back with more paperwork. This is from the federal high court in Lagos, and it shows that the case citing Jyothi, Kiran, and Babatunde for extorting Femi and owning Nyjagis Live has been struck out for want of prosecution.

No one ever brought a legitimate case. So the sisters send those documents off to Interpol for review. And they decide to fight their case in the media as well. So when the New York Times' Canada correspondent Dan Levin asks them for an interview, Jothi and Kieran say yes. They figure that having their story in the newspaper of record can only help their case before Interpol. And Jothi says that after Dan bugs Interpol trying to get answers, there's finally some movement in their case. In August 2018, according to the New York Times,

the sisters get a package in the mail from Interpol. Jothi has a pit in her stomach. If their appeal is denied, then all the work she did to clear their names will have been for nothing. She opens it carefully. And inside is a letter that says that Interpol has deleted their names from its database.

That weight has been lifted, finally. I still have like dreams that I'm back in Nigeria and like I'm thinking in my mind, why did I come back? Like, what if I can't leave? It's like traumatizing. That is really a different type of stress stream. That is not missing the school bus, you know? Well, Sarah, if this story makes you want to pull up

Nige just live right now, don't bother. It basically doesn't exist. There's a few posts archived online, but it seems like the site was hacked or disabled. As for Femi, well, he's still very rich and he actually became a bit of an Instagram influencer himself, with 1.4 million followers. Babatunde Oyibadi, the graphic designer slash rapper who was also accused of owning Nyjah Just Live, he has an even bigger following, 1.5 million on Instagram. Good for him.

As for the sisters, after going on the social media hiatus when they got back from Nigeria based on their lawyer's advice, Jothi and Kiran are now back to posting. And even though the experience was obviously so stressful for their parents, Jothi says that their family sees a different side of things too. My dad, we were sitting at dinner one day after all this stuff happened. He was just like, you know, I'm so proud of you guys. Anybody else under these circumstances, they would just be depressed and like hiding out. My dad would definitely be like,

you should never go on the internet again. Yeah, I think also my father would probably take my passport away. Well, Kieran has tried her hand as a recipe blogger and a caterer. Jothi wrote a guide for people getting a Brazilian butt lift. Here's one of her tips.

Don't wear designer clothes to your consultation or the surgeon will rip you off. That is so smart and literally the only thing stopping me from wearing designer clothes when I go to surgery consultations. That's practical advice. Well, through the sister's website, Jothi also offers something called booty calls, which is where she offers advice about BBL concerns. And she says that most of those calls end up devolving into her giving people relationship advice.

So obviously I've signed up. Okay, Sarah, do you feel like the sisters are scammers or is Femi a scammer? Is no one a scammer? Is everyone a scammer? I don't think they're scammers in the traditional sense. I do think they are, you know, they're influencers. And influencers kind of fall into scammer territory sometimes. But I can't really think of anything they specifically lied about

or faked or pretended to be other than that one confession. Sarah, we talked to them so much and we heard so much about what happened to them. So obviously I'm inclined to believe them because they talked to us, but do you believe them? Yeah, I don't think they have a real reason to lie. This wouldn't have benefited them in any real way.

It's pretty clear they didn't make the website. And I feel like the lack of proof in all moments of this investigation showed that they really had nothing to do with it. I mean, they're guilty of being influencers, I guess. Do you feel like the Canadian government should have done more to help them out? Oh my god, absolutely.

These are two Canadian citizens who are saying, we're in trouble, we've been arrested, we don't know how to navigate this system. And they are going to this consulate and they're just being like, okay, your paperwork is being processed. It's like, no, this is an emergency, figure it out. Get them somewhere safe. This is not a good advertisement for Canada. It's not a good advertisement for any government or traveling or even, you know, having a man sweep you off your feet. But also never rely on a rich person to give you opportunities and experiences.

Even though they did find success on their own while in Nigeria as well. It is a story about being at the whims of rich people. And again, like they were at the whims of these rich people because they had this aspirational idea of being these kind of jet-setting influencer sisters. And to me, it's like, don't try and influence. Don't try to influence. Don't try to have a new experience. Don't broaden your horizons.

Stay home and be quiet. Go to Marciano, do your work, go home. Lessons learned all around. If you like scam flincers, you can listen to every episode early and ad free right now by joining Wondry Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at Wondry.com slash survey. This is part two of our two-part series, Gossip Girls.

We used many sources in our research. A few that were particularly helpful were How to Date a Lot of Billionaires by Dan Levin in the New York Times and The Untold Story of the Canadian Kardashians and Toronto Life by Alexandra Kimball. Jessica Ford wrote this episode. Additional writing by Saatchi Cole and Sarah Hagge. Additional reporting by Sarah Eni. Jen Swan is our senior producer.

John Reed is our producer. Our associate producers are Charlotte Miller and Tade Busby. Sarah Eni is our story editor. Our senior story editor is Rachel B. Doyle. Fact checking by Sonia Maynard. Our music supervisor is Scott Velazquez for Phrase on Sync. Adrienne Tapia provided audio assistance. Our sound design is by Jay Rothman. Our executive producers are Janine Cornelo, Stephanie Jens, and Marshall Louie for Wondering. I'm John Robbins and on my podcast, I sit down with incredible people to ask the very

simple question, how do you cope? From confronting grief and mental health struggles to finding strength in failure, every episode is a raw and honest exploration of what it means to be human. It's not always easy, but it's always real. Whether you're looking for inspiration, comfort, or just a reminder that you're not alone in life's messier moments, join me on how do you cope. Follow now wherever you get your podcasts or listen to episodes early and ad free on Wondery Plus.

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