Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Paystack, one of the leading fintechs in Africa, Ezra Olubi, is currently in a big mess following a storm of sexual misconduct allegations that erupted online.
What began as a cryptic social media post quickly escalated into a full-blown public scandal, dredging up old tweets, igniting debates about power, accountability, and workplace culture in Africa’s tech ecosystem, and forcing one of the continent’s most influential fintech firms to respond decisively.
Beyond Paystack’s promise of in-house investigation, Nigerians are now calling for the involvement of the Nigerian police to probe what they described as Olubi’s “self-confessed atrocities.”
The crisis started brewing on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, when an X user known as @makispoke, who goes by the pseudonym Maki, posted a vague but pointed message:
“This person sleeps with their female subordinates. and this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. When I say they are dangerous, I mean exactly what I’m saying.”
The allegations were unverified, but they spread rapidly. Calls for a “#toxicbosses season II” trended as users demanded transparency and accountability from Paystack.
Within twelve hours, the allegations surged across X, accumulating more than 180,000 posts. Many posts had little to do with the original claim as users began sharing recollections of “creepy vibes” at past tech meetups, alleging inappropriate comments, body language, or insinuations.
Some users even invoked Nigeria’s Criminal Code, referencing heavy penalties for sexual offenses, including child defilement.
An online petition emerged calling for the withdrawal of Olubi’s Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) national award, which he received in 2022.
What was once a dispute between individuals had now entered the realm of national debate, magnified by feminist groups, tech commentators, and online watchdog communities.
On November 13, a new chapter opened when users led by accounts like @creamlyn_ began circulating archived screenshots of tweets posted by Olubi between 2009 and 2013.
In one of the screenshots showing a Sept 19, 2009 tweet, Olubi wrote: “Save water. Take a bath with ur neighbors daughter. cc: @iambolu.”
In another posted in May 2011, he tweeted: “Monday will be more fun with an ‘a’ in it. Touch a coworker today. Inappropriately.”
See some of the screenshots below:
Netizens described ...s as a “digital time capsule of depravity.” Though the tweets pre-dated the founding of Paystack in 2015, their resurfacing severely damaged public perception and shifted the debate from personal allegations to broader questions of character and past behavior.
Netizens described ...s as a “digital time capsule of depravity.” Though the tweets pre-dated the founding of Paystack in 2015, their resurfacing severely damaged public perception and shifted the debate from personal allegations to broader questions of character and past behavior.
By Thursday evening, Olubi had deactivated his X account (@0x) without issuing any public statement. This silence deepened the outrage and speculation.
Before the uproar, Olubi was widely admired for: his unconventional androgynous fashion, his openness about queer identity, his advocacy for feminist and LGBTQ+ causes, and his role in building one of Africa’s most successful fintech platforms.
In 2022, Olubi was conferred with the national award of Order of the Niger (OON) by former President Muhammadu Buhari, and he was one of the few young Nigerians to have received such honour.
The contrast between this public persona and the disturbing allegations has magnified the public reaction.
With the public storm still intensifying, Paystack issued an official statement to the media saying it has suspended Olubi and kicked off an 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 stated.
The company added that it would not comment further until the investigation concluded.
For a fintech closely tied to Stripe, with global investors and reputational exposure across Africa’s $1B+ digital payments sector, the statement signalled urgency and intent to protect institutional integrity.
Beyond Paystack’s investigation, Nigerians are now calling on the Police to carry out their own investigation of the matter.
Specifically, human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju asked the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to open a formal investigation and probe the Paystack co-founder, Ezra Olubi, for alleged sexual misconduct.
Adeyanju made the demand in a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, arguing that several provisions of Nigerian law empower the police to investigate the allegations without waiting for a formal petition.
“The Nigerian Police can investigate Ezra Olubi’s self-confessed atrocities of serious offences, including: sexual offences involving minors under Sec. 218-223, Criminal Code Act, the Child Rights Act 2003, the VAPP Act 2015, and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015,” he posted.
He added that the allegations also border on “The offense of unnatural carnal knowledge (bestiality) bestiality under Sec. 214 (2), Criminal Code Act.
“Voyeurism and unlawful surveillance under the Cybercrimes Act, and sexual harassment and incitement to commit sexual offences under the VAPP Act and the Criminal Code Act,” Adeyanju added.
According to him, while tweets alone may not always amount to conclusive admissions of crime under the Evidence Act, they are often enough to raise reasonable suspicion, especially if they describe acts in the first person or, at the very least, constitute sufficient indications of criminal behaviour.
With the allegations hanging on the neck of its co-founder, Paystack , one of Africa’s unicorns, is now drawing public attention for the wrong reason.
As a leading fintech, Paystack’s core offering is a payment infrastructure that enables businesses in Africa to accept payments online and offline through cards, bank transfers, USSD, QR codes, and mobile money. In its early stage, Paystack was accepted into the Y Combinator accelerator in 2016, where it received $120,000 in funding.
For Paystack, the coming weeks will determine whether this is a temporary reputational shock or a long-term test of resilience for one of Africa’s most celebrated fintech innovators.