How Nigeria help reconcile former Sierra Leone President Koroma wey dey exile since 2024 wit current govment
Wia dis foto come from,Min. of Foreign Affairs
Published7 September 2026
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Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma don return to im home kontri afta e spend more dan two years for Nigeria, wia e run for exile since 2024.
E return afta di Sierra Leone govment agree to stop di criminal trial wey dem bin sama against Koroma on top accuse say e bin plan to use coup to comot a sitting president.
Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and former President Olusegun Obasanjo bin escort Koroma back to Freetown, di Sierra Leone capital on Sunday, 6 September.
Madam Odumegwu-Ojukwu tok say Nigeria play ogbonge role to reconcile oga Koroma wit di current govment for Sierra Leone, through long period of diplomatic engagement, togeda wit di Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).
She say di tok-tok na im create di conditions for greater political understanding between oga Koroma and Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio.
Di kontri Foreign Minister Mohamed Rahman Swarray and members of Koroma party, di opposition All People’s Congress (APC), bin dey on ground to welcome di former President for Freetown international airport.
Koroma tell tori pipo say im dey happy to be back home, and e thank President Bio and Nigeria President Bola Tinubu for dia support.
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Why Koroma run comot from Sierra Leone?
Ernest Bai Koroma serve as Sierra Leone president for more dan ten years, from 2007 to 2018.
Afta e leave office, e return to im home town Makeni, and afta some time e declare say im don retire from active politics, even though e still remain one of di most influential politicians for di kontri.
Den for 2020, di Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) for Sierra Leone publish White Paper on dia investigation of wetin hapun during Koroma tenure, and dem invite di former President for questioning for dia headquarters for Freetown.
Howeva, sake of security concerns, Koroma tok say e go beta if di ACC go come interview am for Makeni, but on di day wey di interview suppose hold, plenty of Koroma supporters and members of im party gada for im compound, and dem no gree make di ACC officials enta.
Eventually, di ACC announce say dem don dey interview Koroma for one ‘safe house’ wey no be dia headquarters for Freetown, but di investigation come cause political tension between di supporters of di ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and di All Progressives Congress (APC) wey be Koroma party.
For late November 2023, armed men bin try to break into di armoury for one military base near di President residence, and some of di attackers also break into two prisons for Freetown and release hundreds of prison inmates.
E bin no dey clear wetin dey happunat di time, but di govment later tok say na coup attempt.
At least 21 pipo, including 13 soldiers kpai for dat attack according to di army.
January 2024, di Government of Sierra Leone sama charges on top Koroma head as dem accuse am of treason, dem claim say e get hand for di attempted coup.
Koroma plead not guilty to di accuse and court later grant am bail.
Later for dat same January, di court permit Koroma to travel to Nigeria for medical reason, afta Ecowas bin chook mouth for di mata and dem try to make peace between him and President Bio.
Even though di time period wey di court grant am na three months, Koroma remain for Nigeria for more dan two years.
But di mata continue for court for di oda pipo wey dem arrest sake of dat coup attempt, including oga Koroma former bodyguard, who di court later declare guilty.
About two dozen soldiers bin dey sentenced by one military court sake of dat mata, and dia prison sentence na betwin 50 to 100 years.
For July dis year, di Sierra Leone govment announce say dem don stop di criminal proceedings against oga Koroma, wey mean say di former President dey allowed to come bak to di country.
Tori be say oda presidents of Ecowas kontris bin folo chook mouth for di mata as part of dia efforts to achieve national reconciliation and political stability for Sierra Leaone.
President Bio bin even invite oga Koroma bin to attend di Ecowas summit wey hold for Sierra Leone for July.
On Friday, Vice-President Mohamed Jalloh announce say Koroma go return permanently, “in di spirit of peace and national cohesion”.
Also di tok-tok pesin for President Bio, Yusuf Sandi, praise di president for how e receive im predecessor wit dignity as former head of state.
“Di gesture na true demonstration of leadership wey dey genuinely committed to strengthening national cohesion and uniting di country,” e tok.
Koroma return to Sierra Leone dey come as di kontri dey prepare for dia next general elections wey go hapun for 2028.
Di kontri bin don dey try to calm down political tension afta di 2023 election wey President Bio bin win for im second term in office.
Political sabi pipo tok say as oga Koroma don return to Sierra Leone, ogbonge political tension betwin di current administration and di former ruling party don calm down, but e don also bring back strong opposition into di kontri politics.
Dem born Ernest Bai Koroma on 2 October 1953. Im mother also na politicians wey bin win election under di All Progressives Congress (APC) to represent dia area Makeni for di local council for di 1960s.
Bifor e enta politics for 2002, Koroma bin teach for St. Francis Secondary School for im hometown Makeni between 1976 and 1978, and later work for more dan 20 years for di insurance sector for Sierra Leone.
E bicom leader of di APC and run for President of di kontri for di 2002 election, but even though e lose to di current president dat time, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, e later win di Parliamentary election to represent Bombali district from 2002 to 2007.
For di parliament for 2005, Koroma bicom di minority leader and e hold dat position until di 2007 election wia e run again as President and win. E serve for two terms of five years each, until 2018.
For April 2018, e announce say im don retire from active politics, but im voice remain veri influential for di politics of Sierra Leone.
