Indian-origin sisters arrested for 'extortion'

Two Indian-origin sisters based here were arrested on charges of extorting and cyber-bullying a billionaire in Lagos, Nigeria.

The sisters, Jyoti and Kiran Matharoo, "operated a website called NaijaGistLive" and cyber-bullied Nigerian oil tycoon Femi Otedola, who was in Forbes list of the richest billionaires in Africa this year, the National Post reported on Tuesday.

The women claimed that they had evidence of him cheating on his wife and threatened to post the evidence on the website, where they allegedly used to publish personal details of famous Nigerian men, the National Post cited local Nigerian news reports.

They demanded money from rich men in order not to go public with details of their sexual indiscretions.

The Toronto Star quoted a court document posted on Nigerian news website Nigeria Politics as saying that the sisters stand accused of being "responsible" for the website NaijaGistLive and several other social media accounts used for "cyber-bullying" around 274 people, "mostly based in Africa".

In the document, the sisters apparently listed a home address in Toronto's Etobicoke neighbourhood.

Global Affairs Canada, a department that manages Canada's diplomatic and consular relations, said it was providing consular services "to the Canadian citizens who were detained in Lagos".

The sisters have pleaded not guilty to the charges and were out on bail. They are scheduled to next appear in court on January 26.

--IANS

soni/ahm/bg