Nelson Ugwuagbo

Ezra Olubi, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Paystack, has deactivated his X (formerly Twitter) account following intense public backlash over a series of disturbing tweets from 2009 to 2017 that recently resurfaced online.

The controversy began on November 12 when Max Obae, a US-based entrepreneur, hosted an X Spaces session in which she detailed allegations of emotional abuse, manipulation, and misogyny by an unnamed former partner—widely identified by online users as Olubi.

Obae described a polyamorous relationship that started when she was 19 and claimed the individual used a burner account to harass her after their breakup.Within hours, archived screenshots of Olubi’s old posts under the handle @0x began circulating widely.

The tweets contained graphic jokes about bestiality, pedophilia, knowingly transmitting HIV, and explicit sexual comments about colleagues. One 2010 post read: “On a lighter note, I hear sex with a minor cures HIV.

So my +ve followers, help yourselves.” Another from 2012 referenced sexual acts with cats.T

he revelations triggered immediate outrage across Nigerian social media, with #EzraOlubi trending and over 180,000 posts recorded within 24 hours.

Critics, including fintech CEO Hanu Fejiro Agbodje, called for Olubi’s arrest and investigation, labeling him a “pedophile and misogynist.”

An online petition demanding the revocation of his 2022 Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) national honor has gained thousands of signatures.

Paystack responded swiftly, announcing Olubi’s suspension from all duties pending a formal internal investigation. “Effective immediately, Ezra has been suspended from all duties and responsibilities,” the company said in a statement to TechCabal. “We will not be commenting further until the investigation is complete.”

The Federal Government has suspended the planned implementation of a 15 per cent import duty on premium motor spirit (PMS) and automotive gas oil (diesel).

This was announced on Thursday by the spokesperson of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), George Ene-Ita, in a statement.

Ene-Ita assured Nigerians that there is sufficient supply of petroleum products across the country and urged citizens to avoid panic buying or hoarding.

“It should also be noted that the implementation of the 15 percent ad valorem import duty on imported petrol motor spirit and diesel is no longer in view,” the statement read in part.

The NMDPRA said there is a robust domestic supply of petroleum products—including petrol, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas—sourced from both local refineries and importation to ensure timely replenishment of stocks at depots and retail outlets.

The Authority also warned marketers against hoarding or arbitrary price hikes, adding that it would continue to monitor the market to maintain stability during the current peak demand period.

“While appreciating the continued efforts of all stakeholders in the midstream and downstream value chain in ensuring smooth and uninterrupted supply and distribution, the public is hereby assured of NMDPRA’s commitment to guarantee energy security,” the statement added.