Nigerian fintech Paystack has officially terminated the employment of its Co-founder and chief technology officer, Ezra Olubi, after public allegations that he had sexual relations with a junior employee.
The Paystack CTO via his social media announced the firing where he disclosed that the decision came before the company’s investigation was complete.
It would be recalled that the controverisal tweets of Olubi dated between 2010 and 2017, had explicit references to sexual acts with animals, jokes about Paedophilia, and claims of knowingly transmitting HIV and Hepatitis B.
In one widely circulated screenshot dated from 2012, captured the Paystack CTO, who by the way have now deactivated his X account following the outrage, making graphic remarks about sexual intercourse with cats. Several tweets also appeared to make light of child sexual abuse, including a 2014 post claiming, without any medical basis, that “sex with a minor cures HIV.”
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Following the controversy, Paystack confirmed that it had suspended Olubi and opened a formal investigation, stating that it had established a review process and intended to appoint an independent investigator.
In a new developmet, Olubi said in his post that he was not given a meeting or an opportunity to respond before his contract was ended and that the termination appeared to contravene the terms of his suspension and the company’s internal policies. He added that his legal team would explore possible steps in response.
“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,” he wrote.
Paystack, acquired by Stripe in 2020 in one of Africa’s landmark tech exits, has faced intense public scrutiny as renewed calls for stronger workplace accountability across Africa’s fast-growing tech sector, grew louder following the controversy.
Paystack did not immediately issue a fresh public statement after Olubi’s blog post, and it is not clear whether Stripe — Paystack’s parent company — will comment further. Any legal action by Olubi could force new disclosures or court proceedings that would clarify the facts and the company’s process.