POLITICS

Former Sierra Leone president Koroma returns home after two years in Nigeria

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IMAGE: (L-R) Secretary of State for Defence the Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP meets the President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma. DEFENCE Secretary, Michael Fallon, has said that UK personnel have made a vital contribution to tackle Ebola, during a visit to Sierra Leone. Arriving in the West African state, Mr Fallon met with the President, His Excellency, President Ernst Bai Koromo, at the State House in Freetown. Their meeting began with an ‘Ebola handshake’, a greeting now widespread in Sierra Leone where elbows are offered, to avoid any potential transmission of the disease through body contact. Mr Fallon then visited sites where the British military have provided key support, including the Kerry Town Treatment Unit (KTTU) where regular and reserve military medics are treating healthcare workers with Ebola; the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Argus which deployed in September and has been providing reassurance and aviation support to the people of Sierra Leone and the District Ebola Response Centre (DERC) in the town of Port Loko. British troops stationed in Port Loko have created a command and control structure which co-ordinates numerous stakeholders, enabling progress against the disease in the district. The Port Loko DERC is one of eight in Sierra Leone overseen by the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC).

Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma has returned to the country after spending more than two years in Nigeria following the withdrawal of criminal proceedings against him.

Koroma departed Nigeria for Freetown on Sunday, Sept. 6, about two and a half years after leaving Sierra Leone amid a treason case linked to an alleged attempt to overthrow President Julius Maada Bio’s government.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan announced Koroma’s departure in a post on X, saying he was pleased to see the former Sierra Leonean leader return home.

“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,” Jonathan said.

He added that Nigeria had been Koroma’s “home away from home” for more than two years and that efforts were made with others to encourage dialogue with Sierra Leonean authorities to create conditions for his safe and dignified return.

Koroma travelled to Nigeria in January 2024 after a Sierra Leonean High Court granted him permission to leave the country on medical grounds despite facing treason charges. He had been indicted over his alleged involvement in a failed attempt to overthrow Bio’s government in November 2023 but denied any involvement in the incident.

During the November 2023 unrest, gunmen attacked military barracks and a prison, freeing about 2,200 inmates. More than 20 people were killed.

The case unfolded amid political tensions following Sierra Leone’s disputed 2023 presidential election, in which Bio secured a second term.

Koroma’s lawyers rejected the allegations, describing the charges as “trumped up” and part of a political vendetta.

Sierra Leonean authorities discontinued the criminal proceedings against the former president in July, bringing an end to the high-profile treason case.

In a public notice, Sierra Leone’s Attorney-General, Alpha Sasay, confirmed that the proceedings against Koroma had been discontinued and the case removed from the court’s docket. He also said Koroma’s bail conditions had ended with immediate effect, although no reason was given for the decision.

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