The Nigerian Government has facilitated the safe return of former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma to Freetown, concluding over two years of temporary political asylum in Abuja. Acting on the instructions of President Bola Tinubu, a high-level Nigerian delegation successfully coordinated the diplomatic transition, which followed the Sierra Leonean government’s recent decision to drop all treason charges against the former leader to foster regional stability.

To ensure a dignified and secure homecoming, several eminent Nigerian leaders personally oversaw the departure and arrival. The former President was physically accompanied on his flight by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu , and former President Olusegun Obasanjo , while former President Goodluck Jonathan formally saw him off from Nigeria, marking a major milestone for West African diplomacy.

On the instruction of President Bola Tinubu, former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma was officially accompanied back to Freetown by a high-level Nigerian delegation. In a press statement, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that his safe return marks the successful conclusion of a sustained regional diplomatic and confidence-building process.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that former President Ernest Koroma’s initial relocation to Nigeria in January 2024 resulted from high-level interventions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) . These diplomatic efforts were specifically aimed at promoting peace, stability, and political understanding within Sierra Leone during a period of heightened tension.

The regional intervention successfully fostered dialogue and created conditions for greater understanding between Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio and his predecessor. This breakthrough paved the way for Koroma’s temporary stay in Nigeria, where sustained engagements involving ECOWAS, the Nigerian Government, and key stakeholders ultimately resolved the complex political issues that had necessitated his relocation.

In a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze, the Minister highly praised the former leader’s demeanor during his exile. She noted that Koroma’s conduct throughout the entire period reflected exceptional restraint, statesmanship, and a profound commitment to achieving a peaceful outcome for his home country.