Paystack Co-Founder Ezra Olubi Suspended Over Allegations of Sexual Misconduct
Paystack, the Stripe-owned Nigerian payments company, has suspended its Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Ezra Olubi, following allegations of sexual misconduct involving a subordinate.
According to a report by TechCabal, the company initiated a formal investigation after the allegations trended on social media on November 12.
The controversy resurfaced online when an individual who previously had a personal relationship with Olubi posted complaints, drawing renewed attention to old tweets he made between 2009 and 2013. Many of those posts contained inappropriate and sexually suggestive remarks, including references to colleagues and minors.
Following the backlash, Olubi deactivated his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Some of the resurfaced tweets sparked widespread criticism, including comments such as:
“I judge my female friends by the sound of their pee make…”
“Save water. Take a bath with your neighbour’s daughter.”
“Touch a coworker today. Inappropriately.” (posted on May 23, 2011)
In a statement to TechCabal on Friday, Paystack confirmed that Olubi had been placed on suspension pending the outcome of a formal probe.
“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 also stated that it would not comment further until the investigation is concluded, citing respect for all parties involved.
Paystack, founded in 2015 by Ezra Olubi and Shola Akinlade, is one of Africa’s leading payment infrastructure companies. It was the first Nigerian startup accepted into Y Combinator in 2016 and was acquired by global payments giant Stripe in 2020 for over $200 million.
Olubi, as CTO, played a major role in building the company’s core technology and scaling operations across Nigeria and other African markets.
