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Tag: Oyedepo

  • Significance of Oyedepo’s appointment as DPP

    Significance of Oyedepo’s appointment as DPP

    • By Kehinde Olamide Ogunwumiju

    The appointment of Mr. Rotimi Iseoluwa Oyedepo (SAN) as Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, represents a significant milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its criminal justice system and entrench the rule of law.

    The decision reflects the administration’s broader objective of building a credible, efficient, and corruption-resistant legal framework by appointing individuals of proven competence, integrity, and professional distinction to strategic public offices.

    A nation’s greatness is inseparably tied to the strength and integrity of its legal system. Nigeria’s post-independence legal evolution has been marked by deliberate attempts to combat corruption, promote accountability, and ensure justice across public and private sectors. Within this context, the appointment of Mr. Oyedepo as DPP is a commendable step toward consolidating these reforms, particularly in criminal prosecution and asset recovery.

    The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP)

    The Director of Public Prosecutions is the principal officer responsible for conducting public prosecutions on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF). The constitutional foundation of the office is Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which vests in the AGF the authority to initiate, take over, and discontinue criminal proceedings. These powers may be exercised personally or through delegated officers, chief among whom is the DPP.

    The DPP occupies a critical position within the justice system, ensuring that prosecutorial decisions are professional, evidence-based, and insulated from political interference. The role involves advising the AGF on whether cases should be prosecuted, discontinued, or appealed, while safeguarding fairness, public interest, and constitutional guarantees.

    Key responsibilities of the DPP include:

    1. Instituting Criminal Prosecutions

    The DPP evaluates cases and determines whether criminal charges should be filed. Subject only to the supervision of the AGF, he also authorises or assumes control over prosecutions initiated by agencies such as the EFCC, NPF, and ICPC, ensuring coherence and consistency across the prosecutorial system.

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    2. Supervision and Control of Prosecutors

    The DPP provides guidance on evidence assessment, prosecution strategies, and courtroom conduct, ensuring prosecutions are impartial, diligent, and aligned with the public interest.

    3. Appeals, Advice, and Legal Opinions

    Subject to the AGF’s approval, the DPP authorises appeals in appropriate cases, especially where convictions are overturned, sentences are manifestly lenient, or significant questions of law or public policy arise. The DPP also advises law enforcement agencies and government departments on prosecution-related matters, reinforcing adherence to due process and the rule of law.

    Historical Development of the Office of the DPP

    The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions was formally established following Nigeria’s 1960 Independence Constitution, becoming a distinct entity within the Federal Public Service. Its independence and authority have been consistently reaffirmed in successive constitutions, culminating in Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution.

    The rationale for the Office’s creation was to ensure prosecutorial autonomy, enabling objective decisions on prosecutions and charges on behalf of the Federal Government. The first DPP, Mr. Gilbert Chukwudike Nonyel, QC, served until 1964. The office has since evolved in response to Nigeria’s expanding legal and anti-corruption landscape.

    Professional Profile of Oyedepo

    Mr. Oyedepo was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2008 and subsequently joined the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he served for over 15 years. During his tenure, he handled diverse prosecutorial assignments and rose to become Head of the EFCC Monitoring Unit, responsible for overseeing and coordinating major cases.

    In recognition of his exceptional advocacy and prosecutorial expertise, he was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2022. His professional strengths lie in prosecuting complex financial crimes, money laundering cases, forfeiture proceedings, and large-scale asset recovery. Beyond the EFCC, his expertise was further acknowledged through his appointment in 2023 as Special Assistant to the President on Financial Crimes and Public Prosecution Compliance.

    Mr. Oyedepo’s career has been distinguished by numerous accolades, including EFCC Outstanding Staff of the Year (2014) and Best Financial Crimes Prosecutor (2019). He is widely regarded as incorruptible, meticulous, and uncompromising in the discharge of his duties.

    Significant Cases Handled by Oyedepo

    Landmark cases handled by Mr. Oyedepo, illustrating his influence on Nigeria’s anti-corruption jurisprudence, include:

    1. Dame Patience Jonathan v. EFCC (2019, SC)

    Mr. Oyedepo led the EFCC’s defence of interim forfeiture orders over funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity. He successfully argued that non-conviction-based forfeiture under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act is constitutional, civil in rem, and consistent with fair hearing principles. The Supreme Court upheld his arguments, cementing the legality of civil asset forfeiture in Nigeria.

    2. Dame Patience Jonathan v. FRN (2018, CA)

    The Court of Appeal affirmed the constitutionality of interim forfeiture proceedings and reinforced the EFCC’s power to preserve suspected proceeds of crime without prior conviction. Mr. Oyedepo’s advocacy strengthened Nigeria’s asset recovery framework.

    3. EFCC v. Bello (2025, CA)

    In this case involving a sitting Governor, Mr. Oyedepo successfully argued that constitutional immunity under Section 308 does not apply to civil in rem forfeiture proceedings. The Court of Appeal restored an interim preservation order and clarified the limits of immunity in asset recovery cases.

    4. EFCC v. Kogi State & Ors (2023, CA)

    The Court of Appeal set aside an ex parte injunction restraining the EFCC from investigating alleged financial misconduct. The decision protected the statutory mandate of anti-corruption agencies and curtailed judicial overreach.

    5. Dauda Lawal v. EFCC (2020, CA)

    While the Court set aside a forfeiture order on fair hearing grounds, the case illustrated judicial insistence on procedural compliance and the evidential burden on the prosecution.

    6. P&ID v. Federal Republic of Nigeria

    Mr. Oyedepo played a key role in domestic prosecutions that supported Nigeria’s successful challenge to a $6.6 billion arbitral award in England. The English courts set aside the award on grounds of fraud and corruption, marking a major victory for Nigeria.

    Implications of Oyedepo’s

    Appointment

    Mr. Oyedepo’s appointment as DPP carries far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s criminal justice system. His extensive experience in prosecuting high-profile and politically sensitive cases equips him to strengthen prosecutorial efficiency, coherence, and credibility. His leadership is expected to enhance asset recovery initiatives, reduce reliance on external counsel, and promote consistent prosecution strategies across government agencies.

    The appointment also signals the administration’s commitment to merit-based appointments and specialised expertise, reinforcing public confidence in the justice system and the fight against corruption.

    Conclusion

    The elevation of Mr. Oyedepo to the office of Director of Public Prosecution exemplifies President Tinubu’s commitment to competence, integrity, and institutional reform.

    It marks a significant advancement in Nigeria’s pursuit of effective criminal justice administration and nation-building.

    The appointment underscores the principle that sustainable progress depends on placing the right individuals in critical positions of authority, thereby strengthening the rule of law and public trust in governance.

    • Ogunwumiju, OFR, SAN, writes from Abuja

  • Tinubu approves appointment of Oyedepo as director of public prosecutions

    Tinubu approves appointment of Oyedepo as director of public prosecutions

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Rotimi Iseoluwa Oyedepo as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Federal Ministry of Justice.

    The appointment, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director of Information and Public Relations at the State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, follows the transfer of Oyedepo’s service from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to the mainstream Federal Civil Service.

    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.

    Oyedepo will fill the vacancy created by the impending retirement of the outgoing Director of Public Prosecutions, Abubakar Babadoko, who is due to attain the mandatory eight years in office as a director on December 31, 2025.

    The newly appointed DPP is a law graduate of the University of Ilorin, having completed his degree in 2007 and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in 2008.

    According to the statement, Oyedepo is expected to deploy his extensive prosecutorial experience to reduce the Federal Government’s reliance on external legal counsel in sensitive and high-profile cases, while also ensuring greater coherence and consistency in the government’s legal strategies.

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    Before his latest appointment, Oyedepo spent more than 15 years at the EFCC, where he specialised in the prosecution of complex economic and financial crimes.

    He also served as Head of the Commission’s Monitoring Unit and was part of the Federal Government’s legal team in the landmark Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) arbitration case.

    His professional accomplishments earned him the EFCC Outstanding Staff of the Year award in 2014, as well as the Best Financial Crimes Prosecutor award in 2019.

  • I won’t join politics even if offered $1bn – Oyedepo

    I won’t join politics even if offered $1bn – Oyedepo

    The presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Dr. David Olaniyi Oyedepo, has reiterated his commitment to his spiritual calling, stating that no amount of money, including $1 billion, can entice him to join politics.

    Speaking at the church’s annual convocation, Shiloh 2025, Bishop Oyedepo emphasised the importance of focusing on one’s area of calling, citing Romans 8:19, and urging the church to prepare for their role in addressing national crises.

    “Partisan politics is off my calling. If you give me $1 billion to join politics, I won’t, because it’s off my course”, he said.

  • Take responsibility or fail – Oyedepo tells Nigerian youth

    Take responsibility or fail – Oyedepo tells Nigerian youth

    The Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Bishop David Oyedepo, has advised the youth in the country to take full responsibility for their lives to prevent failure in the future.

    Oyedepo, who is also the President of Living Faith Church International, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Ota.

    According to him, responsibility is the price of every great destiny and nobody is a failure until he or she looks for whom to blame for it.

    Oyedepo emphasised that anyone who would not take responsibility early in life would surely end up a liability later in life.

    He enjoined the youth to embrace the virtue of responsibility, noting that they would not have anyone to blame for their failure in the future.

    “If you fail or succeed in life, it is your choice.

    “There is no star without a scar and the scar of every star is sacrifice.

    “When you leave your life to chance, you do not have a chance,” he said.

    Oyedepo also urged the youth to imbibe integrity as a lifestyle, adding that nothing devalues the worth of a man like lack of character.

    According to him, it is obvious that the youth are the ones the world is waiting for and they cannot afford to disappoint destiny and the great future that awaits them.

    (NAN)

  • Oyedepo urges youths to embrace discipline, integrity, godliness

    Oyedepo urges youths to embrace discipline, integrity, godliness

    •1646 students graduate from Covenant University

    The Chancellor of Covenant University, Dr. David O. Oyedepo, has charged Nigerian youths to take responsibility for their destinies through discipline, godly living, integrity, and capacity building.

    He gave the charge yesterday at the 20th Convocation Ceremony of the 2025 Graduating Class, tagged ‘The 20th Release of Eagles,’ held at the university chapel in Ota, Ogun State.

    A total of 1,646 students graduated, including 1,413 undergraduates and 233 postgraduates across various disciplines. Of these, 357 bagged First Class honours, 841 Second Class Upper, 410 Second Class Lower, and 38 Third Class. At the postgraduate level, the university awarded 45 PhDs, 148 MSc, 18 MEng, 3 MA, and 19 MBA degrees.

    Miss Duru Chidera Emmanuella from the Department of Computer Engineering emerged as the Best Graduating Student with a 4.97 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), while Sanmi Rilwan Oluwademilade, a graduate of Industrial Mathematics, also distinguished himself with a 4.99 CGPA in an earlier academic session.

    The event attracted prominent dignitaries, including university chancellors, diplomats, government representatives, traditional rulers, and parents of the graduating students.

    In his convocation address titled ‘Golden Rules for a Life of Meaning and Relevance,’ Dr. Oyedepo emphasized the power of personal choices and godly discipline in shaping a successful destiny.

    He said “Not making a choice is a choice. If you fail, it’s your fault, and if you succeed, it’s your fault. You may first appear mad before you emerge as a celebrity like Paul in Acts 26:24. You may be branded a fanatic like Joseph, or seem unreasonable like Isaac, but in the end, sacrifice and integrity always produce stars.”

    Oyedepo listed six key life principles for graduates,  a choice to go the extra mile, pursue God as a lifestyle, build faith, uphold integrity, develop capacity, and embrace discipline.

    “There is no star without a scar, and the scar of every star is sacrifice, integrity defines value; nothing devalues a man like lack of character. Capacity must be cultivated, it cannot be imparted,” he declared.

    He explained that Covenant University’s success rests on helping students build solid spiritual and moral foundations through its signature programmes. The Total Man Concept (TMC), Entrepreneurial Development Studies (EDS), Towards a Total Graduate (TTG), and Diploma in Leadership Development (DLD).

    “The life span of every building depends on its foundation,” he said. “At Covenant, we are helping students build lives anchored on character, positive attitude, and discipline. Only positive thinkers become great builders.”

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    Reaffirming the institution’s vision, Oyedepo said the university is committed to raising a new generation of African leaders through education rooted in godliness, knowledge, and integrity.

    In his address, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Timothy Anake, described education as “the passport to the future,” quoting Malcolm X.

    “Our mission has never been to merely confer degrees,” he said. “It is to produce graduates who are intellectually capable, spiritually grounded, ethically sound, and socially relevant.”

    In her goodwill message, the Chairperson of the Student Council, Miss Chidera Emmanuella Duru, representing the graduating class, thanked parents, staff, and colleagues for their support and resilience through challenging academic years.

    “We have endured online semesters, post-pandemic restructuring, Wi-Fi droughts, and countless late nights,” she said. “But through it all, we learned perseverance, faith, and excellence. We are not just graduates — we are solutions.”

  • Oyedepo urges decentralization, community action to tackle Nigeria’s energy poverty

    Oyedepo urges decentralization, community action to tackle Nigeria’s energy poverty

    The Chancellor of Covenant University, Bishop David Oyedepo, has called for a renewed sense of urgency, decentralization, and community responsibility in addressing  persistent energy challenges in the country.

    Speaking on Friday at the university’s 33rd Inaugural Lecture, themed “Energy Poverty in the Midst of Abundant Natural Resources: The Agonising Power Supply,” Bishop Oyedepo described Nigeria’s power crisis as a national emergency that demands immediate action from all levels of the society.

    The lecture, delivered by Professor Anthony Udoghe, provided an in-depth analysis of the complexities surrounding Nigeria’s energy supply challenges, highlighting the vast gap between the country’s natural wealth and its energy generation capacity.

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    Bishop Oyedepo, in his remarks, praised the richness, timeliness, and relevance of the lecture, noting that energy poverty is not just a technical or infrastructural problem, but a development, governance, and moral crisis that impacts every citizen.

    “Energy poverty is something to research, discuss, and confront head-on. It is not a classroom conversation; it is a national call to action,” Oyedepo asserted.

  • Oyedepo warns new students of Covenant University against exam malpractice

    Oyedepo warns new students of Covenant University against exam malpractice

    • Institution matriculates 2449 students

    The Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Bishop David Oyedepo, on Friday, warned newly matriculated students, against engaging in any form of examination malpractice.

    Oyedepo issued the warning during his address at the university’s 23rd matriculation ceremony.

    The clergyman said examination malpractice in any guise at the university is grave misconduct at the institution.

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    He warned that any students caught in examination misconduct would lose their admission.

    “The university believes that achieving success in life requires discipline and hard work, no one can reach a future they aren’t prepared for,” Oyedepo said.

     The Chancellor and Chairman of the Board of Regents, Covenant University, Bishop David Oyedepo, has reiterated the school’s commitment against examination malpractice, saying that examination malpractice is considered a capital offence in Covenant University.

    A total number of 2449 students across the institution’s four colleges and 31 programmes, including the open and distance e-learning platform.

  • Oyedepo: over 90% of Covenant varsity’s graduates employable

    Oyedepo: over 90% of Covenant varsity’s graduates employable

    The Chancellor of Covenant University at Ota in Ogun State, Bishop David Oyedepo, has said over 90 per cent of the university’s graduates are employable.

    Oyedepo said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Ota.

    According to him, this is evidenced in Covenant topping the list of Nigerian universities with the most employable graduates, with more than 90 per cent employability rating.

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    “The university’s leadership development studies equipped our graduates with the leadership skills and competencies that prepared them for the tasks ahead.

    “In addition, these skills equip our graduates with insight and proffer solutions to numerous challenges confronting the nation as well as the global world,” he said.

    Oyedepo advised higher institutions to intensify efforts to embark on more meaningful research that would solve the problems of the nation without depending on foreign solutions.

  • Oyedepo gets award

    Oyedepo gets award

    Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr, son of General Overseer of Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners Chapel), Pastor David Oyedepo, has got Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow award.

    The award was presented to him by Rotary Foundation Chair of Rotary Club of Ota, Salau Doris, a second level of major donor of Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.

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    Paul Harris Fellow is a person who has been recognised as having done something significant for others.

    Guest speaker award was also presented to Oyedepo Jnr during installation of 42nd President of Rotary Club of Ota.

    The award was presented by the President, Rtn Jackie Kassim, in the presence of other members of the club.

    Rotary Foundation helps

  • Mind your business, Oyedepo responds to critics over Abioye, Aremu’s retirement

    Mind your business, Oyedepo responds to critics over Abioye, Aremu’s retirement

    Founder and presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), Bishop David Oyedepo, has warned those criticising the church’s decision to retire some long-serving leaders to mind their business.

    Nigerians on social media have been criticising Oyedepo over the retirement of his two Vice Presidents, Bishops Thomas Aremu and David Abioye.

    Oyedepo in his response strongly defended the church’s policy on pastoral retirements.

    He explained that these retirements were in line with the church’s operational guidelines, known as “The Mandate,” which serves as its governing constitution. He urged critics to focus on their own affairs rather than questioning the internal decisions of the church.

    Speaking during Bishop Aremu’s farewell ceremony at Winners Chapel in Orita Bashorun on Tuesday, Oyedepo emphasised that the ministry functions in accordance with divine decree, revealing that the church’s Administrative Policy of 1998 was reviewed in 2001 and The Mandate of 2012 was amended in 2024.

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    According to him: “My advice to commentators is to study to be quiet and mind your business. It is wisdom to learn what is working and find out what makes it work. Everything works here.”

    Quoting the Bible in Genesis 49:26, Bishop Oyedepo stated that no one has an inheritance in a teacher or pastor.

    He encouraged  Bishop Aremu  to maintain a mindset focused on growth, saying, “There’s no such thing as the best today or tomorrow; what matters is your pursuit of God.”

    In his response, Aremu, reassured the congregation about his future intentions. 

    He emphasized his commitment to Winners Chapel, saying, “I don’t have a church and I cannot have a church because God has not infused me with the capacity to do so. This is my church.”