Investigative journalist David Hundeyin has fired back defiantly at a pre-action legal notice issued by Paystack co-founder Ezra Olubi, rejecting demands for a retraction, apology and N140 million in damages over allegedly defamatory social media posts.
Hundeyin, known for his hard-hitting reporting on West African politics and business, publicly shared the legal letter on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday and responded with mocking message directed at Olubi, his lawyers, and what he derided as Nigeria’s legal culture.
In the post, Hundeyin bluntly told all parties involved to “entirely go f*ck yourselves,” adding that he was not “invested enough” to engage with what he described as “low-quality Nigerian nonsense.”
David Hundeyin’s response
The legal notice, dated January 26, 2026, was issued by law firm Templars on behalf of Olubi. It accuses Hundeyin of publishing “false, malicious and defamatory statements” in a series of X posts made in December 2025.
According to the letter, the disputed posts allegedly described Olubi as a “lame, insecure social misfit” with a “god complex,” drew comparisons between him and embattled U.S. music executive Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, and warned of potential danger to critics, including a reference to Amaka Odel.
Olubi’s lawyers are demanding that Hundeyin permanently delete the posts, issue a written undertaking not to publish further defamatory material about Olubi, publish a full retraction and apology with equal prominence to the original posts, and pay ₦140 million as compensation for alleged reputational damage and emotional distress.
The notice gives Hundeyin seven days to comply, citing the Lagos State High Court Pre-Action Protocol, and warns that failure to do so would result in formal legal proceedings.
Hundeyin has neither deleted the posts nor issued any apology. Instead, his response appeared to double down on his earlier criticisms, signalling a readiness to confront the matter publicly rather than seek settlement.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of Olubi’s suspension and eventual exit from Paystack in late 2025, following separate allegations of sexual misconduct involving a subordinate, claims the company said it was investigating at the time.
Paystack, the fintech company acquired by Stripe in 2020, has not commented on the legal dispute between its former executive and the journalist.