Paystack, the Nigerian payments company owned by Stripe, has suspended its Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Ezra Olubi, following an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a subordinate.
The development followed a social media post on Wednesday by an individual who previously had a relationship with Olubi. The post triggered renewed scrutiny of several controversial tweets Olubi made between 2009 and 2013, many of which contained sexually suggestive remarks involving colleagues and minors.
The resurfaced tweets—which Olubi has since deleted while deactivating his X account—sparked widespread condemnation. In one tweet, he wrote: “I judge my female friends by the sound of their pee make. Thanks to the audio in my bathroom.”
Another read: “Save water. Take a bath with your neighbour’s daughter.”
A tweet posted on May 23, 2011, stated: “Monday will be more fun with an ‘a’ in it. Touch a coworker today. Inappropriately.”
According to a report by TechCabal on Friday, Paystack confirmed that it had launched an internal investigation into the matter.
“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.
The firm added that it would refrain from making further public comments until the investigation is concluded, citing respect for everyone involved and the need to preserve the integrity of the process.
Olubi co-founded Paystack in 2015 with Shola Akinlade. The company, which provides payment infrastructure for online and offline businesses across Africa, became the first Nigerian startup accepted into Y Combinator in 2016.
Paystack grew rapidly and was acquired by global fintech giant Stripe in 2020 for over $200 million, one of the largest exits in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.
As Chief Technology Officer, Olubi was instrumental in building the company’s technology backbone and driving its expansion across the continent.
