Paystack, the Nigerian payment startup, has sacked Ezra Olubi, its co-founder and chief technology officer, over allegations of workplace sexual misconduct.
The controversy began when Max ‘Makispoke’ Obae hosted an X Space titled ‘My Piece’, accusing Olubi of misogyny and recounting their troubled past.
Her claims sparked reactions on X, prompting users to unearth old, disturbing tweets from Olubi’s account.
The backlash intensified as the resurfaced posts, containing sexually explicit and alarming statements, fuelled accusations of misogyny, pedophilia, bestiality, and predatory behaviour.
Paystack initially suspended Olubi on November 12 following the launch of a formal investigation into the issue.
However, in a recent blog post, Olubi confirmed that the fintech company had terminated his employment.
He said he deliberately chose silence during the ongoing probe, expecting what he described as a “fair, thorough and unbiased review”.
Ezra expressed concern that his quiet stance created “a vacuum that allowed assumptions and misrepresentations to spread without challenge, maintaining that the resurfaced posts do not reflect his conduct or values”.
He also revealed that his legal team is now reviewing the circumstances surrounding his termination, adding that he will not be making further comments at this time.
“Over the past few days, my name and reputation, built over years as co-founder and technical leader at Paystack, have been called into question because of information circulating online. In response, the Board of Directors of Paystack placed me on suspension and initiated what was described as an “independent” investigation,” he wrote.
“Once that process began, I chose not to make any public statements. I did this to avoid interfering with the investigation and because I expected a fair, thorough and unbiased review of the allegations being discussed online. This created a vacuum that allowed assumptions and misrepresentations to spread without challenge.
“Those who know me personally or professionally understand that the posts being circulated do not reflect my conduct or the way I have lived my life. I have always, to the best of my ability, conducted myself in a manner that respects everyone’s dignity and safety.
“On Saturday, 22 November 2025, I was informed that my employment had been terminated. This decision was taken before the supposed investigation was concluded, and without any meeting, hearing, or opportunity for me to respond to the issues raised, in clear contravention of the terms of the suspension and Paystack’s own internal policies.
“As co-founder, technical leader and long-serving Board member, I have been part of instituting the systems and processes that underpin Paystack’s internal operations. I engaged with this investigation in good faith and cooperated fully with the Board’s directives on that basis.
“My legal team is now reviewing the process that led to my purported termination, including its consistency with internal policies. They will take the steps they consider appropriate, and I will not be commenting further on this matter at this time.”
Obae also announced on her X page that she had completely paid back the $55,000 loan she took from Ezra to sort out her brother’s school tuition fees.
Sharing a picture of the receipt, she wrote: “The final transfer of $5k has now been delivered to Ezra and with this delivery the total $55k loan has now been transferred back to him. That’s that”.
