ENCORE: Gossip Girls | Part II | 149

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/wonderynewsletter Listen 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.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Scaachi Koul?

  Audible subscribers can listen to all our episodes of Scamfluencers ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

• 0:14Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 0:26Sarah Hagi?

  Hey, honey.

• 0:27Scaachi Koul?

  I think I know the answer to this question, but I'm gonna ask it anyway. Were you the type of kid who snuck out at night without your parents knowing? And you 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.

• 0:44Sarah Hagi?

  Okay, Sachi, two things.

• 0:46Scaachi Koul?

  All right.

• 0:46Sarah Hagi?

  You're assuming that I had the kind of friends who were cool enough to sneak out.

• 0:51Scaachi Koul?

  Right.

• 0:52Sarah Hagi?

  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.

• 1:02Scaachi Koul?

  Well, this is why I think this story is so interesting about the Mathru's, because they had upbringings like we did. And yet, they're out and about. They have all these daring escapes.

• 1:13Sarah Hagi?

  I know. It's low-key inspiring.

• 1:15Scaachi Koul?

  Well, this episode is the most of everything. And Sarah, I cannot wait to tell you all about it.

• 1:23Scaachi Koul?

  It's December 2016 in Lagos, Nigeria. Karen Mathru 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 Nija 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.

• 2:05Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 2:13Sarah Hagi?

  Okay, compared to where they were in jail, they must be so happy to be at this hotel.

• 2:18Scaachi Koul?

  Well, luckily, when police first barged into their hotel room, Jothi 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 gonna 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 Jothi.

• 2:39Speaker 02

  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.

• 2:53Scaachi Koul?

  John is a local who's got ties to the police force. And he becomes an ally to the Matherus, someone who really keeps them going. And on their first night there, John pulls a pretty slick move. As Kieran tells it...

• 3:07Sarah Hagi?

  Basically, he told one of the guards, like, "Hey, you know, why don't you eat something? Have some beers on me."

• 3:12Speaker 02

  It's on me.

• 3:13Sarah Hagi?

  And 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.

• 3:29Scaachi Koul?

  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 gotta 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.

• 4:12Sarah Hagi?

  Oh, the bureaucracy of Canada.

• 4:16Scaachi Koul?

  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, OK. He'll have someone give them a call, even though they had just explained that they don't even have their phones. The Mathru 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.

• 4:46Speaker 03

  I'm Lauren Malloy, the host of the podcast My Mom's Murder. For 30 years, I thought my mom died of natural causes. That's what everyone told me. That's what I believed. Until one day, I got a phone call that changed everything. A woman claiming to be my mom's best friend told me my mother was murdered and that no one had ever investigated it. So I did what the detectives wouldn't: pulled the threads, knocked on doors, and confronted the contradictions. And what I found, it's worse than I imagined. Something happened to my mom. Someone killed her. And I won't stop until I find out who. The system may have given up on my mom,

• 5:30Speaker 03

  but I never will. Listen to My Mom's Murder wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all 10 episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 5:46Speaker 04

  I'm Gemma Whelan, and in the new season of The Spy Who, we tell the story of the original femme fatale, the spy who was Mata Hari, a famous dancer turned World War I secret agent, accused of seducing Allied officers to uncover their plans. But was she a temptress or a scapegoat for French failures? Follow The Spy Who now, wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen to the full season of The Spy Who Was Mata Hari early and ad-free on Audible.

• 6:18Scaachi Koul?

  From Wondery, I'm Sachi Paul.

• 6:20Sarah Hagi?

  And I'm Sarah Haggy.

• 6:21Scaachi Koul?

  And this is Scamfluencers.

• 6:32Scaachi Koul?

  In our last episode, we talked to Jothi and Karen Mathru, 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 Otodola, 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.

• 7:19Scaachi Koul?

  A couple of days after their call to the Canadian consulate, Jothi and Karen are back in their airport hotel room. Officer Philip Adubawale 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 Otodola's house.

• 8:02Sarah Hagi?

  That's not freedom, but I guess it's getting out of jail?

• 8:06Scaachi Koul?

  It's an activity, let's say. So Karen'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.

• 8:25Scaachi Koul?

  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 Kiran were dating. But tonight, the house seems eerie. Things are off. Kiran and Jothi are brought into Femi's all-white living room. There's a wall with all of his accolades,

• 9:06Scaachi Koul?

  magazines with his face on the covers, and a small replica of the Nana, his $12 million yacht.

• 9:12Speaker 02

  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."

• 9:19Scaachi Koul?

  That's Jothi describing the scene. She says that Femi offers them drinks and casually reveals that he called the guy Kiran's currently dating. Here's Kiran.

• 9:28Speaker 05

  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", you know, just to let him know what's going on.

• 9:39Speaker 02

  I called him. I wanted to let him know.

• 9:40Speaker 05

  Yeah, that's the tone.

• 9:40Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah.

• 9:43Scaachi Koul?

  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. Jothi says that everything with Femi was always some dramatic scene. They tell Femi they have nothing to do with Nija 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.

• 10:24Scaachi Koul?

  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's still crickets from the Canadian consulate. And now their scandal is about to break the internet and become front page news on the

• 11:07Scaachi Koul?

  gossip blogs. After their meeting with Femi, Jothi and Kiran 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.

• 11:51Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 12:34Scaachi Koul?

  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 Adabawale, 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.

• 13:18Sarah Hagi?

  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.

• 13:29Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah.

• 13:29Sarah Hagi?

  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.

• 13:37Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah, they just look a little lost.

• 13:38Sarah Hagi?

  Yeah, exactly.

• 13:40Scaachi Koul?

  Well, here's what Jothi says about their so-called court appearance.

• 13:45Speaker 02

  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.

• 14:02Scaachi Koul?

  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 Mathrew sisters meet someone else who's accused of running the gossip blog. And he shows them just how bad it could get.

• 14:24Scaachi Koul?

  In court, the sisters meet a web designer named Babatunde Oye-Badi. He's the other person accused of running Niger 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 Kiran, and then Jyoti.

• 14:45Speaker 05

  He said that they hung him upside down, beat him, all kinds of things, because he wouldn't admit to owning something that he doesn't own.

• 14:52Speaker 02

  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.

• 14:59Scaachi Koul?

  Jyoti and Kiran feel so bad for Babatunde. So, according to the sisters, they pay part of his bail along with their own.

• 15:07Sarah Hagi?

  OK, 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.

• 15:16Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 15:27Sarah Hagi?

  Yeah, there's like no paperwork or anything at this point, right?

• 15:30Scaachi Koul?

  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 this story, imagine how they must feel. It's been nine days since the plane-closed officers first barged into their hotel and took them to the police station. They're nearly at their wit's 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, Jyoti and Kiran have access to the outside world.

• 16:15Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 16:27Scaachi Koul?

  Sarah, what do you think is the first thing they do after they get their phones back?

• 16:31Sarah Hagi?

  I'm gonna say post something on the internet.

• 16:35Scaachi Koul?

  Actually, they call their parents.

• 16:37Sarah Hagi?

  Oh, that's sweet. That's sweet.

• 16:39Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 16:52Sarah Hagi?

  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.

• 17:12Scaachi Koul?

  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 want to 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.

• 17:53Scaachi Koul?

  And the consulate says, "Cool. Thanks. We'll process this and get back to you soon."

• 18:00Speaker 02

  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.

• 18:14Scaachi Koul?

  So it's back to the airport hotel for Kiran and Jothi. Oh, and while they're holed up with their phones, they check out Nigajus Live. And it's been updated while they've been detained without any electronics. But even that doesn't help the Matharoo sisters' case. And before long, their story goes from being local gossip fodder to an international scandal.

• 18:41Speaker 06

  Ghosts aren't real. At least, that's what journalist Tristan Redmond always believed. Sure, odd things happen in his childhood bedroom, but ultimately, he shrugged them off. Until he discovered that he wasn't alone, that everyone who lived thereafter him also had bizarre experiences they couldn't explain. And it gets even weirder. It just so happens that his wife's great-grandmother was murdered in the house next door. Is this ghost somehow connected to her murder? He decides to go where no son-in-law should, digging up a cold case and asking questions that nobody wants answered. Like, could his wife's great-grandfather have gotten away with the perfect crime? This is a podcast about family secrets, overwhelming coincidence,

• 19:24Speaker 06

  and the things that come back to haunt us. For the best bingeable series, like Ghost Story, listen to the Audible True Crime Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can get all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 19:42Speaker 07

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• 20:25Speaker 07

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• 20:48Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 21:29Speaker 02

  I wish we listened to you because she knew he was gonna 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's working on this, if they did give us our passports back, because obviously, even if he wanted to release the video, I'm like, who cares? Let it just happen and let's get our passports.

• 21:51Sarah Hagi?

  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.

• 22:01Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah, and they're scared. So they agree to a videotaped confession. Kieran stays silent. Jothi reads from the Notes app.

• 22:09Speaker 02

  We apologize to Femi Ochadola and his family, especially his wife and children and all the other petitioners. We created a platform called NigelJustLive.com and.co where people can send in stories. Most stories were sent by close friends or associates of people being written about.

• 22:25Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 22:37Sarah Hagi?

  Yeah, I could not imagine confessing to something that harmed my life so much.

• 22:43Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah, but you didn't do.

• 22:45Sarah Hagi?

  They didn't do this, and also, it made their lives worse.

• 22:49Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah. And after filming the video, the associate leaves and nothing changes. Their guard has bounced 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.

• 23:21Scaachi Koul?

  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 Karen kicks him out.

• 23:53Sarah Hagi?

  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 like, they just kicked him out, you know?

• 24:03Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah, 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 like come and go when they please. And so Jothi and Karen 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 in Femi's case against the owner of Nigerjust Live. And it is lousy with mistakes. It claims that Jothi and Karen conspired with Babatunde on the site, when they'd never even met him before.

• 24:47Scaachi Koul?

  And it claims that they were in Nigeria blackmailing and threatening to kidnap Femi the previous July. But actually, Jothi and Karen 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.

• 25:06Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 25:28Speaker 05

  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, OK, if you can at least get us this, it's a piece of paper, basically, that verifies that you're a Canadian citizen and that you have to fly directly into Canada.

• 25:47Speaker 02

  Single entry.

• 25:48Speaker 05

  Single entry.

• 25:49Speaker 02

  And you hand it in when you land.

• 25:51Scaachi Koul?

  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...

• 26:25Speaker 02

  What are we going to do to get out of here?

• 26:27Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 26:52Sarah Hagi?

  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.

• 27:01Scaachi Koul?

  Well, Sarah, I have some news for you, because in late summer of 2017, Karen gets the chance to take another trip.

• 27:10Speaker 05

  I was going to go to Italy with just one of my friends. He said he needed to buy furniture for his Nigeria house. So we were going to go for, I think, a week.

• 27:18Scaachi Koul?

  Karen says, yes, duh, I'll go to Italy. But Jothi has a bad feeling. She tells her sister, don't go.

• 27:26Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 27:39Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 28:05Speaker 05

  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.

• 28:22Scaachi Koul?

  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?

• 28:37Sarah Hagi?

  Well, I know that they're like world cops. So it's like, it stands for International Criminal Police Organization. And it's just a way for law enforcement to work all together so that they can arrest people. That's true.

• 28:51Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 29:06Sarah Hagi?

  Oh, mamma mia, here we go again.

• 29:09Scaachi Koul?

  At least it's cute. The prison is on Jodeka, 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. Kieran'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 Kieran 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,

• 29:53Scaachi Koul?

  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 Kieran'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.

• 30:32Sarah Hagi?

  Oh, my god.

• 30:34Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 31:15Sarah Hagi?

  Sounds kind of like a daycare.

• 31:19Scaachi Koul?

  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, Kieran 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.

• 31:53Scaachi Koul?

  You stepped out for your morning jog. Except it's not your usual morning jog. You started listening to an epic sci fi book on Audible. Thirty chapters later, you've accidentally run a half marathon. You lost track of how far you've run, somewhere just past the city limits. You can't stop. You have to find out what happens next. Then it's over. The universe seems bigger. You feel different. You feel like you have no idea where you are. Audible, stories that speak to you. A trucker merges onto the I-10 in New Orleans. He checks his mirrors. The lane is clear. And then, boom, impact. A pickup truck, seemingly out of nowhere, scrapes down the side of his 18 wheeler. Multiple passengers inside.

• 32:37Scaachi Koul?

  One man flees the scene. And the driver of the pickup? He doesn't seem all that upset. It didn't feel like a regular accident, because it wasn't. Across the city, truckers are getting sideswiped, all on the same stretch of the same freeway. And behind many of the cases is one person, a Hollywood stunt woman turned personal injury lawyer named Vanessa Moda. This podcast is a story about fake accidents that lead to real consequences and a scheme that ends in betrayal and murder. Listen to Over My Dead Body: Operation Sideswipe wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes early and ad free right now.

• 33:18Scaachi Koul?

  Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

• 33:32Scaachi Koul?

  All right, 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.

• 33:59Sarah Hagi?

  So it's a real who's who.

• 34:01Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 34:16Speaker 02

  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 is just seems so silly that you could take a personal relationship, like a personal vendetta, and turn it into this case.

• 34:31Scaachi Koul?

  For months, the sisters worked to clear their names from the database, all without the help of a lawyer. Jothi 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.

• 34:50Sarah Hagi?

  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.

• 35:02Scaachi Koul?

  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 Jothi, Karen, and Babatunde for extorting Femi and owning Nigigis 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 Karen say yes. They figure that having their story in the newspaper of record can only help their case before Interpol.

• 35:46Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 36:20Speaker 02

  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.

• 36:29Sarah Hagi?

  That is really a different type of stress dream. That is not missing the school bus, you know?

• 36:35Scaachi Koul?

  Well, Sarah, if this story makes you want to pull up Nigga 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 Oyebadi, the graphic designer slash rapper who was also accused of owning Nigga Just Live, he has an even bigger following, 1.5 million on Instagram.

• 37:08Sarah Hagi?

  Good for him.

• 37:08Scaachi Koul?

  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 Karen 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.

• 37:26Speaker 02

  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.

• 37:37Sarah Hagi?

  My dad would definitely be like, you should never go on the internet again.

• 37:41Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah, I think also my father would probably take my passport away.

• 37:46Scaachi Koul?

  Well, Karen 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.

• 37:59Sarah Hagi?

  That is so smart and literally the only thing stopping me from wearing designer clothes when I go to surgery consultations.

• 38:06Scaachi Koul?

  That's practical advice. Well, through the sisters' 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.

• 38:26Scaachi Koul?

  Okay, Sarah. Do you feel like the sisters are scammers? Or is Femi a scammer? Is no one a scammer? Is everyone a scammer?

• 38:33Sarah Hagi?

  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.

• 38:48Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah.

• 38:48Sarah Hagi?

  But I can't really think of anything they specifically lied about or faked or pretended to be, other than that one confession.

• 38:58Scaachi Koul?

  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?

• 39:08Sarah Hagi?

  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.

• 39:25Scaachi Koul?

  Do you feel like the Canadian government should have done more to help them out?

• 39:28Sarah Hagi?

  Oh, my God, absolutely. Like, 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."

• 39:46Scaachi Koul?

  This is not a good advertisement for Canada.

• 39:49Sarah Hagi?

  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.

• 40:22Scaachi Koul?

  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.

• 40:38Scaachi Koul?

  Follow Scamfluencers on the Audible app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes of Scamfluencers ad-free by joining Audible.

• 40:48Scaachi Koul?

  This is part two of our two-part series, Gossip Girls. We use 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 Sachi Cole and Sarah Haggy. Additional reporting by Sarah Enni. Jen Swan is our senior producer. John Reed is our producer. Our associate producers are Charlotte Miller and Tate Busby. Sarah Enni is our story editor. Our senior story editor is Rachel B. Doyle. Fact checking by Sonya Maynard. Our music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for Phrason Sync.

• 41:33Scaachi Koul?

  Adrian Tapia provided audio assistance. Our sound design is by Jay Rothman. Our executive producers are Janine Cornelo, Stephanie Jens, and Marshall Louie for Wondery.

• 41:57Speaker 05

  Hey, I'm Cassie DePeckle, the host of Against the Odds from Audible Originals. In each episode, we share thrilling true stories of survival, putting you in the shoes of the people who lived to tell the tale. In our latest series, we track the story of Hugh Glass, the real-life revenant that inspired the 2015 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In 1823, Glass was brutally mauled by a grizzly bear in present-day South Dakota and left for dead. His survival depended on trekking through 350 miles of wilderness alone with grave injuries. But he was driven by his thirst for revenge. Follow Against the Odds wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of Against the Odds early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.