Bento, a payroll and HR management company, abruptly dismissed its 10-person tech team on Friday after employees protested a decision by founder Ebun Okubanjo to delay January salaries, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. The layoffs come just a week after the company was accused of failing to remit taxes and pensions and allegedly forging tax receipts for customers in Lagos State. Amid growing controversy, Okubanjo resigned on January 30, though he denied all allegations. In a statement attributed to Bento’s investors, the company claimed it was in the process of recovering platform credentials from Okubanjo. However, at least two investors stated they had no knowledge of such a statement.
Despite his reported resignation, Okubanjo continued communicating with employees on January 31. Concerns among staff escalated when he informed them that salaries would be “strategically delayed” until all pending payroll for customers had been processed. “It’s January, and everyone is struggling financially,” one affected employee wrote in a Google Chat message seen by sources. “Even amidst all the chaos, we’re still working without knowing where the company is headed. The team has collectively agreed to halt all operations until we get paid.”
Okubanjo defended Bento’s past record of timely salary payments, claiming the delay was a strategic move in anticipation of resignations due to the company’s ongoing legal troubles. However, when employees refused to resume work, he treated their protest as voluntary resignations, immediately deactivating their work emails without pay. In an attempt to keep some employees on board, he offered to divide withheld salaries among those willing to stay and process payroll. “If we end up with two employees making 3 million each, that is it,” Okubanjo stated in the Google Chat messages.
However according to multiple sources, no employees accepted this offer. The dismissed tech team primarily consisted of young engineers in the early stages of their careers, most having joined the company just over a year ago.
One source revealed the last founding tech team member left in 2024.
The abrupt layoffs have disrupted Bento’s operations, particularly payroll processing for its customers. The company, which had previously automated salary disbursements, has been forced to manually process transactions since 2024, due to payment processor issues and underfunded accounts. “With all the engineers gone, there is almost no one to run payroll,” an employee said.
However, Bento sent an email to customers, claiming that it had intentionally halted transactions to facilitate the transfer of platform credentials from Okubanjo to an interim overseer.
The allegations against Bento—including claims of forged tax receipts—have left many employees worried about the impact on their professional reputations. One employee, speaking anonymously, admitted he only learned about the accusations on social media and took immediate action to distance himself. “I even removed the company from my LinkedIn for a while,” he said. Other employees reportedly share similar concerns, particularly after discovering that their work emails had been deactivated without warning. When contacted for a statement, Okubanjo responded, “I don’t work for Bento, so I am unable to respond on its behalf.”
With its entire tech team dismissed and key operational challenges mounting, Bento’s future remains uncertain.
