By Dalena Reporters l December 30, 2025
ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, approved the appointment of Mr. Rotimi Iseoluwa Oyedepo, SAN, a veteran prosecutor from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Federal Ministry of Justice, marking a key transition in Nigeria’s prosecutorial leadership.
The presidential approval, conveyed via a letter dated December 23 and signed by Omolabake Mafe on behalf of the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, confirmed Oyedepo’s transfer of service from the EFCC to the mainstream Federal Civil Service. The statement from the State House Directorate of Information and Public Relations, signed by Abiodun Oladunjoye, described the appointment as being made “in the public interest,” reflecting the administration’s intention to strengthen in-house prosecutorial capacity and legal strategy within the federal government.
Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and alumnus of the University of Ilorin (2007) and the Nigerian Law School (2008), brings over 15 years of specialised experience prosecuting complex economic and financial crimes at the EFCC to his new role. During his tenure with Nigeria’s leading anti-graft agency, he also served as Head of the Monitoring Unit and was recognised with accolades including EFCC Outstanding Staff of the Year (2014) and Best Financial Crimes Prosecutor (2019).
The appointment fills the imminent vacancy occasioned by the retirement of the outgoing Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Abubakar Babadoko, who is set to complete the statutory eight-year tenure as a director on December 31, 2025. Oyedepo’s elevation to DPP is expected to reduce reliance on external counsel for major prosecutions and enhance coherence and consistency in the Federal Government’s legal strategies, particularly at a time when the nation grapples with high-profile economic crime cases and demands for judicial accountability.
Observers note that Oyedepo’s prosecutorial background aligns with broader government priorities aimed at reinforcing domestic legal expertise and curbing dependency on private external litigation services. His role will place him at the centre of Nigeria’s federal prosecution agenda, encompassing criminal enforcement, litigation oversight, and strategic guidance on complex legal matters involving the state.
As DPP, Oyedepo will now steer the Ministry of Justice’s prosecutorial arm amidst ongoing debates around legal reform, judicial independence, and anti-corruption enforcement — key themes shaping Nigeria’s governance landscape.
This article is based on verified reporting as of December 30, 2025.