VerseNews investigates the suspension of Paystack CEO, Ezra Olubi after resurfaced tweets and fresh allegations triggered one of the most explosive crises in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.

For nearly a decade, Ezra Olubi has been known as one of Nigeria’s most eccentric and brilliant technologists — a co-founder of Paystack, a company credited with modernizing online payments across Africa and powering thousands of businesses.

But in November 2025, his legacy came under unprecedented scrutiny after disturbing years-old tweets resurfaced online, triggering public outrage, internal investigations, and debates about ethics within Africa’s tech industry.

On November 14, 2025, Paystack announced Olubi’s suspension, confirming an internal review into resurfaced tweets and new allegations raised during a viral X Space hosted by U.S.-based entrepreneur Makispoke.

The tweets, originally posted between 2009 and 2013 — long before Paystack was founded — contain sexually explicit comments about minors, inappropriate comments about coworkers, references to sexualized anime characters, and bizarre claims involving animals. They resurfaced after thousands of users dug through his old posts following Makispoke’s three-hour exposé.

Olubi deleted his X account on November 13. He has issued no statement and has remained silent across all platforms except Instagram, where he still goes by @x0lubi.

The scandal marks one of the most damaging reputation crises ever to hit a Nigerian tech founder.

Who is Ezra

Born on November 12, 1986, in Ibadan, Ezra Olubi grew up fascinated with computers after a family friend temporarily moved into their home with a personal PC.

From that moment, technology replaced his earlier dream of becoming a pilot.

He studied Computer Science at Babcock University, where he met Shola Akinlade — the partnership that would later lead to Paystack. The two collaborated on a final-year project and stayed connected afterward.

Before Paystack, Olubi worked across multiple tech roles:

• IT Administrator at Business Management Consultants Ltd
• Developer at North Ocean Logistics
• Head Developer at Softcom Imagio
• CTO at Jobberman
• CTO at Delivery Science
• Director at Magic Alexander Haring Consulting

Even before Paystack, he was known for unconventional style choices, colourful hair, painted nails, and unique outfits — a persona seen by some as bold creativity, and by others as attention-seeking.

In 2022, former President Muhammadu Buhari awarded him the OON national honour for contributions to Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.

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How Paystack Began

In 2015, Shola Akinlade and Ezra Olubi founded Paystack, now a leading African payment infrastructure provider.

Key milestones:

• Joined Y Combinator in 2016
• Raised $1.3m seed round
• Processed over ₦1bn per month by mid-2017
• Raised $8m Series A in 2018
• Acquired by Stripe in 2020 for ~$200m
• Expanded into Ghana, South Africa, Kenya
• Recently led a consortium to acquire Brass

Because Paystack is tightly integrated into the African financial system, the scandal is not just about an individual — it threatens investor confidence, brand reputation, and regulatory relationships.

A senior fintech executive (who requested anonymity) told VerseNews:

“This is the most sensitive scandal in Nigerian tech history. Paystack is too important. Stripe is watching.”

THE ALLEGATIONS: WHAT MAKISPOKE SAID

The firestorm intensified after entrepreneur Makispoke hosted a viral X Space titled “My Piece”, narrating a decade-long personal timeline involving Olubi.

Her claims include:

1. Long-term interactions dating back to her teenage years

She said they met when she was 19 in Lagos through a Twitter mutual, describing Olubi as quiet, eccentric, and part of an intellectual circle she admired from afar.

2. A 2016 visit to New York

She alleged he spent a weekend at her apartment during his early Paystack days. She said she saw him then as “a gentle, queer-coded tech guy.”

3. A 2023 reconnection in Lagos

She said she and Olubi reconnected after she married her wife. She allegedly proposed adding him to her polycule, both for emotional and financial reasons — believing his stability could help her exit corporate America.

4. Alleged involvement with a subordinate

She stated that she discovered he was sexually involved with a younger female employee — behaviour she described as “ethically unacceptable,” regardless of consent.

5. Claims of manipulation and psychological dominance

According to her, he created a dynamic where:

• His opinions were always presented as superior
• He oscillated between affection and hostility
• He allegedly treated her warmly only when it suited him
• He fostered a “cult-leader-like” aura

6. Financial entanglements

She disclosed he gave her a $55,000 loan, which she vows to repay.

7. Documentation and photos

She shared a timeline of screenshots, notes, and a May 2024 photo of herself, her wife, and Olubi taken in Lagos.

Her story — though deeply personal — opened the door for widespread re-examination of Olubi’s past online behaviour.

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Ezra’s old tweets resurfaces

After the Space, users on X began digging through Olubi’s old tweets from around 2010. They resurfaced screenshots that contained disturbing statements describing sexual attraction to “young, innocent, and clueless girls,” comments complaining about being “deprived of watching 16-year-olds’ nudes,” and bizarre claims of having sex with a cat and a squirrel. 

One of the resurfaced posts even referenced possibly contracting an STD from the cat. These tweets, once circulated widely, triggered a far more explosive backlash than Obae’s original story.

See the tweets below;

“Sometimes, I just go on all fours and follow the cat around the house…blowing air on his anus.”

The most shocking involved:

“I had been deprived of watching sexy 16 year olds with exaggerated breasts and skimpy skirts on screen legally till I discovered anime.”

“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.”

“My pee stream is split in two. Is this a sign of an STD? Can you contract one if the only thing you’ve had sex with in months is your cat?”

“Monday will be more fun with an ‘a’ in it. Touch a coworker today. Inappropriately.”

“I have a touching relationship with my cousin.Can’t wait to get to third base.”

“I judge my female friends by the sound their pee makes. Thanks to the audio recorder in my bathroom.”

“Guess who goes ahead to say he’s got low sperm count just to score one with ladies worried about getting pregnant. MΕ.”

“MTN keeps going down on you guys. I wish I were you guys and MTN was a little girl.”

In 2017, Ezra Olubi tweeted, “Last time I felt this way and went to the hospital for a general checkup, I was diagnosed as both HIV+ and with Hepatitis B.”

In  2023, he did a pyjamas party that had all the top feminists in it, and it went viral again yesterday, 

The controversy surrounding Ezra Olubi has intensified, combining allegations of sexual misconduct from Max “Makispoke” Obae’s X Space with the resurfacing of disturbing tweets from over a decade ago.

As the former Paystack CTO remains largely silent and social media scrutiny grows, the incident has sparked debates about accountability, workplace ethics, and the responsibilities of public figures in tech. With Paystack’s influence in Africa’s fintech ecosystem and its ties to global investors like Stripe, all eyes remain on how the company and Olubi respond to these allegations.