Tinubu Names EFCC Star Prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo As New DPP

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of leading anti-graft prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Iseoluwa Oyedepo, SAN, as the new Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Federal Ministry of Justice, in a move widely seen as a bid to sharpen the Federal Government’s criminal justice and anti-corruption enforcement.

Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and one of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) most prominent courtroom figures, is being transferred from the Commission into the mainstream Federal Civil Service to assume the strategic role. His appointment followed the approval of the Federal Civil Service Commission and was conveyed in a letter dated December 23, 2025, signed by Omolabake Mafe on behalf of the Commission’s Chairman. The letter stated that the appointment was made “in the public interest.”

He will replace the outgoing Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Abubakar Babadoko, whose tenure is due to end on December 31, 2025, upon completing the mandatory eight-year period as a director in the civil service.

Presidency sources and justice sector observers say Oyedepo’s elevation signals a deliberate effort by the Tinubu administration to consolidate federal prosecutions under a seasoned in-house prosecutor, reduce costly dependence on private external counsel, and ensure better coherence in the government’s legal strategy, especially in high-stakes criminal and economic crime cases.

As DPP, Oyedepo will oversee the vetting, approval and conduct of major criminal prosecutions undertaken on behalf of the Federal Government, coordinate with investigative agencies such as the EFCC, ICPC and the Nigeria Police, and play a central role in plea bargains, charges, and case review processes. The DPP’s office also has a significant influence on how swiftly and effectively anti-corruption and serious crime cases proceed through the courts.

Government officials familiar with the appointment say Oyedepo is expected to bring his courtroom experience, case management skills and familiarity with complex financial crime investigations to the Ministry of Justice, with a view to improving conviction rates in major cases and limiting procedural loopholes that often stall trials.

Track record at EFCC

Before his appointment as DPP, Oyedepo served at the EFCC for over 15 years, rising through the ranks as one of the Commission’s go‑to prosecutors for complex, high-profile economic and financial crime cases. He also headed the Monitoring Unit of the Commission, a sensitive portfolio that involves oversight and coordination of critical investigations and prosecutions.

He has handled numerous high-value corruption, fraud and money laundering cases involving politically exposed persons, corporate executives and public officials. Within the EFCC, he earned a reputation for meticulous case preparation, aggressive courtroom advocacy and an ability to navigate highly technical financial evidence.

In recognition of his performance, Oyedepo was named the EFCC Outstanding Staff of the Year in 2014, and later honoured as the Best Financial Crimes Prosecutor in 2019, underscoring his status as one of Nigeria’s most visible anti-corruption prosecutors.

Role in P&ID victory

Beyond domestic prosecutions, Oyedepo was part of the Federal Government’s legal team in the high-profile Process & Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) case in the United Kingdom. The long-running dispute, which stemmed from a controversial gas processing contract signed in 2010, had exposed Nigeria to an arbitral award of more than 1010 billion dollars before the UK High Court set aside the award in October 2023.

The court found that the P&ID contract and the arbitral process were tainted by fraud and corruption, a position the Nigerian government painstakingly advanced through extensive evidence-gathering and legal argument. Oyedepo contributed to that effort, particularly on the financial crime and evidentiary aspects, further cementing his standing as a specialist in cases at the intersection of corruption, contracts and international arbitration.

Educational and professional background

Mr Rotimi Iseoluwa Oyedepo graduated with a law degree from the University of Ilorin in 2007 and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in 2008. He has since built a career anchored almost entirely in public service, with his professional footprint concentrated in criminal litigation, financial crime prosecution and public interest cases.

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He was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria following years of practice that included a significant number of concluded trials and appellate work, especially in corruption and economic crime matters. His elevation to SAN marked formal recognition by the legal profession of his contributions to advocacy and the development of Nigerian jurisprudence in financial crime law.

Implications for justice sector reforms

Oyedepo’s appointment comes at a time when the Tinubu administration is under pressure to demonstrate tangible progress in the fight against corruption, recover stolen assets, and restore public confidence in the justice system. Long delays in high-profile trials, frequent adjournments, and perceived unevenness in the prosecution of politically sensitive cases have drawn criticism from civil society and the international community.

Analysts say that placing a seasoned prosecutor at the helm of the DPP’s office could help:

• Improve the quality and consistency of case preparation before filing charges.
• Strengthen coordination between investigators and prosecutors from the earliest stages of major probes.
• Reduce the Federal Government’s reliance on external law firms in criminal matters, thereby saving costs and improving accountability.
• Enhance the professionalism of state-led prosecutions in politically exposed persons’ cases.

However, they also note that his success will depend on broader institutional reforms, including adequate funding of the Ministry of Justice, political backing for difficult prosecutions, and continued judicial support for speedy trial reforms.

Transition and expectations

With Mr Abubakar Babadoko due to retire at the end of December 2025, the Ministry of Justice is expected to begin a gradual transition process to ensure continuity in ongoing prosecutions. Oyedepo will inherit a docket that includes a mix of terrorism, corruption, cybercrime and other serious cases being prosecuted on behalf of the Federal Government across various courts.

Stakeholders in the legal and anti-corruption community will closely watch how he navigates the demands of the DPP office, which is inherently more administrative and policy-laden than his EFCC role, while still requiring a firm grasp of courtroom dynamics. His appointment, nevertheless, sends a clear signal that the Tinubu administration intends to place experienced prosecutors at the centre of its justice and anti-corruption architecture.

The appointment was announced in a statement issued by Abiodun Oladunjoye, Director of Information & Public Relations, State House, dated December 30, 2025.