Nigerian fintech giant Paystack has suspended its Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Ezra Olubi, following allegations of sexual misconduct involving a subordinate, prompting widespread scrutiny of his past online activity and raising renewed questions about workplace ethics in the tech sector.
The controversy erupted on Wednesday after an individual who previously had a personal relationship with Olubi published accusations on social media. The post triggered a fresh wave of attention to several disturbing tweets Olubi made between 2009 and 2013, many of which contained sexually suggestive remarks involving colleagues and minors.
Several of the resurfaced tweets drew public condemnation, including one in which he wrote: “I judge my female friends by the sound their pee make. Thanks to the audio in my bathroom,” and another stating: “Save water. Take a bath with your neighbour’s daughter.”
A 2011 tweet that read, “Monday will be more fun with an ‘a’ in it. Touch a coworker today. Inappropriately,” sparked further criticism. In the wake of the backlash, Olubi has deactivated his X account.
According to a Friday report by TechCabal, Paystack confirmed it had opened a formal investigation into the matter and immediately suspended Olubi pending the outcome.
“Paystack is aware of the allegations involving our Co-founder, Ezra Olubi. We take matters of this nature extremely seriously. Effective immediately, Ezra has been suspended from all duties and responsibilities pending the outcome of a formal investigation,” the company said.
Paystack added that it would not be making additional public comments while the inquiry is underway.
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“Out of respect for the individuals involved and to protect the integrity of the process, we will not be commenting further until the investigation is complete,” the statement added.
Founded in 2015 by Olubi and Shola Akinlade, Paystack has grown into one of Africa’s leading payment infrastructure providers, serving tens of thousands of businesses across the continent. The company became the first Nigerian startup accepted into Y Combinator in 2016, and in 2020, it was acquired by global payments firm Stripe for more than US$200 million, marking a landmark moment in African fintech.
Olubi has long been regarded as the technical architect behind Paystack’s platform, playing a pivotal role in scaling its systems across Nigeria and other African markets. His suspension marks one of the most significant public crises to hit the company since its inception.
Paystack has assured stakeholders that its internal processes will guide the investigation, with updates expected only after the probe concludes.