Jonathan and Obasanjo both accompanied Koroma’s departure, as Nigeria’s foreign minister confirmed ECOWAS brokered the deal behind his return.
Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma has returned home after spending more than two years in Nigeria, following the withdrawal of treason charges linked to a failed 2023 coup attempt against President Julius Maada Bio’s government.
Koroma departed Nigeria for Freetown on Sunday morning, accompanied by former Nigerian Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
How Koroma ended up in Nigeria
Koroma, who governed Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, fled to Nigeria in January 2024 after a Sierra Leonean high court allowed him to travel abroad on medical grounds, despite being charged with treason.
He was indicted over his alleged role in the November 2023 coup attempt, in which gunmen attacked military barracks and a prison, freeing around 2,200 inmates and leaving more than 20 people dead. Koroma has consistently denied involvement, and his lawyers have described the charges as “trumped up” and politically motivated.
His relocation to Nigeria was reportedly facilitated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as part of a broader arrangement to defuse tensions following Sierra Leone’s disputed 2023 election, in which Bio narrowly secured a second term, a result Koroma’s All People’s Congress rejected. Judicial authorities initially cleared Koroma to remain in Nigeria for three months for treatment, but he ended up staying more than two years.
Why the charges were dropped
Sierra Leone discontinued the criminal proceedings against Koroma in July. In a public notice, Attorney-General Alpha Sesay confirmed the case had been withdrawn from the court’s docket and that Koroma’s bail conditions had ended with immediate effect, without explaining the reasons behind the decision.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Koroma’s return followed sustained engagement involving ECOWAS, the Nigerian government and other stakeholders to resolve the circumstances surrounding his stay.
“His conduct throughout this period reflected restraint, statesmanship, and commitment to a peaceful outcome,” she said in a statement issued by her media aide, Magnus Eze, thanking President Bio, Koroma and Sierra Leonean authorities for their cooperation in maintaining peace throughout the process.
Jonathan’s tribute to Koroma
Jonathan announced Koroma’s departure in a post on X.
“This morning, I had the pleasure of seeing off my dear friend and brother, His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma, as he begins his journey home to Sierra Leone,” he wrote.
“Nigeria was his home away from home for over two years, and I am grateful we could offer friendship, support, and solidarity during that period. Working quietly with others, we encouraged dialogue and engagement with the Sierra Leonean authorities to help create the conditions for his safe and dignified return. As we say farewell today, I am particularly happy that he is returning home to Freetown.”
President Koroma, I wish you a safe journey, peace of mind and every success in this new chapter. May your return be a moment of renewed hope and reconciliation for you, your family and the people of Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, had earlier confirmed the homecoming during a gathering in Koroma’s political stronghold of Makeni on Friday, describing the return as a step taken “in the spirit of peace and national cohesion.”
