The Nigerian tech and media landscapes have been jolted by a legal confrontation between two high-profile figures. On January 26, 2026, Ezra Olubi, the former CTO and co-founder of the fintech unicorn Paystack, initiated legal proceedings against renowned investigative journalist David Hundeyin following a series of inflammatory social media posts.
The legal dispute centers on a string of tweets published by Hundeyin in December 2025. These posts, which reached an audience of millions, drew a direct and controversial comparison between Olubi and the embattled American mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Specifically, the pre-action notice highlights several key accusations made by Hundeyin:
- Behavioral Parallels: Claiming Olubi possessed a “God complex” and an “absence of consequences.”
- Moral Character: Alleging “sexual perversion” akin to the Combs case.
- Substance Abuse: Stating a willingness to “bet a good sum of money” that Olubi was a drug addict.
Olubi’s legal counsel has characterized these statements as “untrue, unsubstantiated, and malicious,” arguing they were strategically designed to paint the tech founder as a “dangerous social misfit.”
Background: A Turbulent Exit from Paystack
The timing of these tweets is critical. In November 2025, just one month prior to Hundeyin’s posts, Olubi’s tenure at Paystack ended abruptly. His termination followed a wave of public scrutiny involving the resurfacing of old social media content and internal allegations of misconduct.
| Perspective | Context |
| Ezra Olubi | Maintains his termination “flouted due process” and was inherently unfair. |
| Corporate Reports | Suggest the exit was the result of internal investigations into misconduct. |
| David Hundeyin | His commentary surfaced at the height of this corporate and public relations crisis. |
The Legal Demands
Olubi’s legal team has issued a strictly timed ultimatum. Hundeyin has seven days to comply with the following demands:
- Deletion: Permanently remove all defamatory posts from his social media platforms.
- Retraction & Apology: Publish a full, public retraction and a formal apology.
- Future Conduct: Provide a written pledge to cease all defamatory statements regarding Olubi.
- Financial Restitution: Pay ₦140 million ($100,000) in damages for the harm caused to Olubi’s reputation.
Failure to meet these terms will result in a formal lawsuit filed at the Lagos State High Court.
True to his reputation for unfiltered commentary, David Hundeyin has not yielded. Upon receiving the notice, he shared the document publicly on social media, accompanied by a dismissive and expletive-laden response. He specifically mocked the ₦140 million valuation of the damages, suggesting a protracted legal battle lies ahead.
This case is the latest in a series of high-stakes defamation battles within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem. The intersection of viral social media commentary and personal reputation is increasingly being tested in court:
Notable Precedent: In early January 2026, human rights lawyer Femi Falana was awarded $25,000 in a successful suit against Meta, following the spread of a defamatory video on its platforms.
The Olubi vs. Hundeyin case serves as a significant litmus test for how Nigerian courts will balance the rights of journalists against the reputational protections of public figures in the age of viral “call-out” culture.
