Obasanjo, Odumegwu-Ojukwu Accompany Exiled President Koroma Back to Sierra Leone

By Omoyeni Ojeifo

Former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma has officially returned home to Freetown after more than two years of exile in Nigeria.

His safe return follows sustained regional diplomatic efforts, spearheaded by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Demonstrating strong West African diplomatic engagement, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo personally accompanied Koroma on his return flight to Sierra Leone.

“His return marks the successful conclusion of a regional diplomatic and confidence-building process,” the Minister noted in a statement made available to PerSecondNews by Dr. Magnus Abe, Special Assistant on Communications and New Media on Sunday.

She recalled that Koroma had relocated to Nigeria in January 2024 following engagements by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, aimed at promoting peace, stability and political understanding in Sierra Leone.

“His conduct throughout this period reflected restraint, statesmanship, and commitment to a peaceful outcome,” she said.

According to the Minister, his stay in Nigeria, sustained engagements involving ECOWAS, the Nigerian Government and other stakeholders contributed to resolving issues that had necessitated his relocation.

She expressed appreciation to President Julius Maada Bio, former President Koroma and the people of Sierra Leone for their cooperation and commitment to peace.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasized that Nigeria remained committed to regional harmony, constitutional order and democratic stability, expressing confidence that Koroma’s return would further strengthen national reconciliation and peace in Sierra Leone.

PersecondNews recalls that Ernest Bai Koroma who served as President of Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, relocated to Nigeria in January 2024 after being charged with four offences, including treason, over his alleged involvement in the November 2023 failed coup attempt in Sierra Leone.

However, Koroma denied involvement in the uprising.

The charges were, discontinued by the Sierra Leonean authorities in July 2026, paving the way for his return home after more than two years in Nigeria.