President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr Rotimi Iseoluwa Oyedepo, SAN, as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Federal Ministry of Justice, following his transfer of service from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the mainstream Federal Civil Service.
The approval, conveyed in a letter dated December 23 and signed by Omolabake Mafe on behalf of the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, stated that the appointment was made in the public interest.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Director of Information and Public Relations in the Presidency, Abiodun Oladunjoye, explained that Mr Oyedepo’s appointment fills the vacancy created by the impending retirement of the current DPP, Mr Abubakar Babadoko, who will complete the mandatory eight-year tenure as a director on December 31, 2025.
Mr Oyedepo, a 2007 law graduate of the University of Ilorin who was called to the Bar in 2008, brings over 15 years of extensive prosecutorial experience to his new role.
During his long service at the EFCC, he specialised in the prosecution of complex economic and financial crimes and rose to become Head of the Commission’s Monitoring Unit.
He was also a key member of the Federal Government’s legal team in the landmark arbitration dispute Process and Industrial Development vs the Federal Republic of Nigeria, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most consequential international legal battles.
According to the statement, the new DPP is expected to deploy his expertise to strengthen the quality and coordination of federal prosecutions, reduce reliance on external counsel in high-profile cases, and ensure greater coherence and consistency in the Federal Government’s legal strategies.
Mr Oyedepo’s professional excellence has previously earned him recognition, including the EFCC Outstanding Staff of the Year Award in 2014 and the Best Financial Crimes Prosecutor Award in 2019.
The Presidency said the appointment underscores the administration’s resolve to reinforce the capacity of key justice sector institutions and enhance the effectiveness of the Federal Government’s prosecution framework.
