Paystack has suspended its co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Ezra Olubi, after an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a junior staff member surfaced online.
The issue began on Wednesday when someone who once had a personal relationship with Olubi shared complaints on social media. The post led to old tweets posted by Olubi between 2009 and 2013 resurfacing, drawing strong reactions from Nigerians.
Many of the recovered tweets contained sexual jokes involving colleagues and minors. Olubi has since deleted his X account.
Some of the tweets that sparked outrage included, “I judge my female friends by the sound their pee make. Thanks to the audio in my bathroom,” and “Save water. Take a bath with your neighbour’s daughter.”
Another tweet from May 23, 2011 read, “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 Olubi had been suspended and that the company had opened a formal investigation.
In its statement, Paystack said, “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 added that it would not comment further.
“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,” Paystack said.
Paystack, founded in 2015 by Olubi and Shola Akinlade, is one of Nigeria’s biggest fintech firms, providing payment services for businesses across Africa. In 2020, Stripe bought the company for over 200 million dollars, making it one of the largest exits in Nigeria’s tech scene.
Olubi played a major role in building the company’s technology and growth across the continent.
