A ONCE a quiet co-founder of Paystack, Mr Ezra Olubi, was suspended by the Stripe-owned Nigerian payments company on Friday for an alleged sexual misconduct involving a subordinate.

The allegation began circulating online on Wednesday, with someone who once had a relationship with Mr Olubi publishing personal complaints online. This led to old tweets by Mr Olubi being dug up and circulated again. The tweets suggested that the tech expert had posted some sexually inappropriate tweets targeted minors or subordinates.

According to such posts, Mr Olubi had, on April 28, 2010, tweeted: “On a lighter note, I hear sex with a minor cures HIV. So, my +ve followers, help yourselves. Ur neighbour’s daughter isn’t looking bad today.”

On May 23, 2011, Mr Olubi had also posted a sexually charged tweet, which read: “Monday will be more fun with an ‘a’ in it. Touch a coworker today. Inappropriately.”

He had yet again posted, “With the way I just looked at this young girl, I hope my daughter doesn’t grow a pair of boobs till she turns 18.”

The tweets, however, were made years before he co-founded Paystack. TechCabal contacted Paystack for comment. In its statement, the tech company said it was aware of the allegations involving Mr Olubi, noting that “as of Thursday evening, November 13, 2025, Ezra has been suspended from all duties and responsibilities pending a formal investigation.”

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The company said its board was in the process of appointing an independent third-party investigator to ensure that the probe was “conducted fairly, thoroughly, and with full confidentiality.” It added, “To protect the integrity of this process, we will not be commenting further until the investigation is complete.”

Previous corporate cases: MTN Nigeria

Mr Olubi is not the only senior corporate leader to have been accused of sexual misconduct. In 2022, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Sales and Distribution Officer, Mr Adekunle Adebiyi, resigned after being described by some female collagues as a sexual predator.  Some female employees of MTN, who hid their identities and described themselves as ‘The Anonymus Whistleblowers,’ had written emails to MTN Group’s headquarters in South Africa between April 2021 and February 2022, accusing Mr Adebiyi of using his position in the company to sleep with young female employees.

Adekunle Adebiyi

The employees also accused Mr Adebiyi of planting family members and friends in key units of the company even when such individuals lacked the requisite educational qualification and skills needed for such roles. They further alleged that Mr Adebiyi inflated contracts, received kickbacks and cooked false sales figures to deceive the company’s management.

“Many of us became victims of his boastful abuses and direct punishments. Three persons resigned in S&D through his intimidations and threats. Kumar Abubakar, a resourceful Senior Manager, was fired by him and Amina, his GM in the North, on trumped-up charges becauseKumar knows all their fake and forged gross connections, numbers and sales figures. They know he would expose them to forensics.
“Sales conferences are always his grounds for his sexual escapades where he uses his front and power to lure young innocent MTNNers levels 1, 2, 3, vulnerable girls into sex,” wrote ‘The Anonymous Whistle Blowers’ in a letter addressed to General Manager, Forensic Services, of MTN Group, Mr Nerisha Singh.

“Your sexual harassment policy is not protecting levels 1, 2 or 3 or young girls. They are victims of Adekunle Adebiyi’s sexual harassment. They can’t talk or report him because they will lose their jobs. We have many cases reported to close friends instead of HR because they don’t trust HR,” they further wrote.

“His bribery and corruption with NIMC Nigeria, collecting money from vendors through his fronts and flooding MTN Nigeria with his family and friends as SIM registration agents have continued.”

Also in 2022, Nigeria’s Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, Mr Cyril Ilok, resigned one month after the female employees in the firm accused him of using his position to block sexual harassment petitions against Mr Adebiyi.

MTN Nigeria pledged to investigate Mr Adebiyi, but there is no public document showing its findings from the investigation.

Risevest’s Urum

In August 2022, Nigeria-based dollar investment fintech, Risevest, recommended the resignation of company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Eke Urum, over allegations of sexual and non-sexual impropriety.

The statement read, “In light of allegations of abuse of power and sexual impropriety, Eke Urum, willingly agreed to step aside as the CEO of Risevest as of August 3, 2022, to allow for a six-week investigation, set up by Risevest’s investors, to run its course.”

Eke Urum

The company further said, “We are committed to getting to the root of the matter and have launched a formal investigation to achieve this. The situation is being handled with utmost transparency through an independent panel with no affiliation to employees of Risevest.”

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A six-week investigation later found him guilty of sexual impropriety and abuse of power. There is no record that he was prosecuted.

What does the law say?

There are several laws dealing with sexual misconduct in Nigeria, lawyers say. Section 351 of the Criminal Code says, “Any person who unlawfully assaults another is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable, if no greater punishment is provided, to imprisonment for one year.”

Also, Section 352 of the Criminal Code states, “Any person who assaults another with intent to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.”

Furthermore, Section 360 of the Criminal Code notes that “any person who unlawfully and indecently assaults a woman or girl is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for two years.”

Sexual activity with a minor – often someone under the age of 14 – attracts even a harsher punishment of up to life imprisonment.