Paystack Places Ezra Olubi on Temporary Suspension Amid Ongoing Internal Review

Paystack, the Nigerian fintech giant now owned by Stripe, has suspended its co-founder and chief technology officer, Ezra Olubi, after allegations of sexual misconduct involving a subordinate surfaced online.

The accusation first appeared on social media on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, triggering an immediate and intense public reaction.

In a statement to TechCabal, Paystack confirmed the suspension and revealed that a formal internal investigation is underway.

“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 statement read.

The company added that, out of consideration for those involved and to maintain the integrity of the investigative process, it will refrain from further comment until the inquiry concludes.

The controversy has also reignited public scrutiny of several old tweets posted by Olubi between 2009 and 2013. Many of the posts contain sexually explicit remarks, references to coworkers, and comments involving minors and anime-related sexual content.

One resurfaced tweet from May 23, 2011, stated: “Monday will be more fun with an ‘a’ in it. Touch a coworker today. Inappropriately.”

These posts published years before Paystack’s 2015 founding—circulated widely across X after re-emerging on Thursday, adding fuel to the growing backlash as the investigation moves forward.

Olubi has not issued any public response regarding either the allegations or the resurfaced tweets. Instead, he deactivated his X account on Thursday, November 13, 2025.

The revival of these posts comes at a moment when Africa’s tech ecosystem is increasingly confronting accusations of workplace misconduct involving prominent industry figures.

Paystack remains one of the continent’s most influential tech companies. Since its launch in 2015, it became one of Y Combinator’s early African-backed startups and later achieved one of Africa’s most notable exits when Stripe acquired it in 2020 for $200 million.

The company’s network of former employees has gone on to build new ventures across fintech, logistics, and digital financial infrastructure throughout the region.