In a pre-action legal notice, Ezra Olubi, co-founder and former CTO of the Nigerian financial unicorn Paystack, demanded N140 million (about or approximately $85,000) in damages from investigative journalist David Hundeyin for a string of postings on X that he claimed defamed him.
On January 26, 2026, Olubi’s legal company, Templars, sent a letter accusing Hundeyin of publishing “false, malicious, and defamatory statements” in posts from December 2025.
According to reports, the writings compared Olubi to the alleged mistreatment of American music tycoon Sean “Diddy” Combs, called Olubi a “lame, insecure social misfit” with a “god complex”, and warned of possible threats against detractors, including a mention of Amaka Odel. The accusation that Olubi is a “drug addict” and a “dangerous social misfit” is criminal conduct. Using phrases like “dangerous pervert” and “lame, insecure social misfit” is considered misconduct.
Olubi’s legal team demands that Hundeyin publish a complete retraction and apology with equal prominence to the original posts, pay N140 million as compensation for emotional distress and reputational harm, permanently remove the identified posts from X, and provide a written commitment not to publish any more defamatory statements about Olubi.
According to the Lagos State High Court Pre-Action Protocol, the letter offers Hundeyin seven days to comply and cautions that noncompliance may result in formal legal action.
The conflict stems from Olubi’s contentious suspension and eventual dismissal from Paystack in late 2025 due to unrelated claims of sexual misbehaviour involving a subordinate, which the business claimed to be looking into.
Paystack, which Stripe purchased in 2020, has not responded to the most recent issue.
The pre-action letter was posted on Hundeyin’s X account. Hundeyin is well-known for his in-depth reporting on West African politics and business. He apparently mocked Olubi and elements of the Nigerian court system in a belligerent message he wrote in response to the demands, which included the term “go fvck yourselves”.
He hasn’t made an official apology or retraction. The case illustrates conflicts between prominent members of Nigeria’s IT sector and vocal journalists in the face of increased scrutiny of internet speech and defamation allegations.
Legal experts observe that in the age of social media, Nigerian courts have been considering more high-value defamation lawsuits; nevertheless, the results vary depending on the proof of malice and public interest defences.
Beyond the public posts, neither Olubi nor Hundeyin was immediately accessible for comment. The seven-day compliance window expires in early February 2026, and the issue is still unresolved.
This conflict stems from Olubi’s formal dismissal from Paystack in mid-November 2025, which the firm blamed on “significant negative reputational damage” brought on by the reappearance of previous social media posts and fresh accusations of misbehaviour.
In a public denial of the notice on X, David Hundeyin ridiculed the lawsuit and mockingly asked Olubi’s attorneys to raise the demand to ₦140 billion.
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