A legal dispute has erupted between Nigerian technology entrepreneur Ezra Olubi and investigative journalist David Hundeyin, following a series of controversial posts made on X (formerly Twitter).
Law firm Templars, acting on behalf of Olubi, issued a formal pre-action notice dated 26 January 2026, accusing Hundeyin of publishing what it described as false, malicious and defamatory statements against their client.
Allegations in the Legal Notice
According to the memorandum of claim, the disputed posts—published in December 2025 and January 2026—were allegedly read by millions of users worldwide. The lawyers claim the tweets portrayed Olubi as:
- Dangerous and capable of harming others
- Egotistical and lacking talent
- Sexually perverse
- A drug addict
Templars stated that these allegations are untrue, unsubstantiated and libellous, and have caused Olubi reputational damage, public ridicule and professional harm.
The law firm further cited posts in which Hundeyin compared Olubi to American music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, following the release of a Netflix documentary, claiming the comparison implied criminal and deviant behaviour.
Demands Made by Ezra Olubi’s Legal Team
In the notice, Olubi’s lawyers demanded that Hundeyin:
- Immediately delete all alleged defamatory posts from X
- Provide a written undertaking to cease making defamatory statements about Olubi
- Publish a full retraction and public apology with equal visibility to the original posts
- Pay ₦140 million as compensation for reputational damage and emotional distress
The letter gives Hundeyin seven days to comply, in line with the Lagos State High Court Pre-Action Protocol, warning that failure to do so may result in legal action.
Hundeyin Responds Publicly
In response, Hundeyin acknowledged receipt of the legal notice and reacted publicly on X, dismissing the demand and mocking the lawsuit.
He alleged that the legal action was an attempt to silence criticism, sarcastically urging Olubi’s lawyers to increase the compensation claim from ₦140 million to ₦140 billion. Hundeyin also argued that tweets should be attributed to his social media account rather than to him personally.
He further criticised Nigeria’s legal system and framed the dispute as part of what he described as a broader political and social reckoning following the 2023 elections.
No Lawsuit Filed Yet
As of the time of filing this report, no suit has been formally filed in court. The dispute remains at the pre-action stage, with public exchanges continuing online.
Neither Ezra Olubi nor Templars has issued a follow-up statement addressing Hundeyin’s response.
David Hundeyin’s Other Defamation Cases
The dispute with Ezra Olubi follows a record of earlier defamation controversies involving David Hundeyin. Most notably, in the United Kingdom, a High Court judgment in 2024 found Hundeyin liable for libel against Charles Northcott, a BBC journalist, over allegations published online and on social media in connection with the Sex for Grades investigation. The court entered default judgment after Hundeyin failed to defend the claim, ordering him to pay £95,000 in damages and to remove the offending publications. Earlier, in Nigeria, Hundeyin also faced pre-litigation threats from Godswill Akpabio and his wife in 2021, following reporting that they said falsely implied their involvement in the Iniubong Umoren murder case; that dispute did not proceed to a reported court filing. Collectively, these episodes point to a recurring pattern in which Hundeyin’s investigative claims and social-media commentary have triggered legal pushback, sometimes escalating into formal judicial findings, and at other times remaining at the level of threatened or abandoned actions.
