Former Sierra Leone President, Ernest Bai Koroma, facing treason charges related to an alleged involvement in a failed military coup, departed the country on Friday for Nigeria.
The departure follows a high court ruling permitting him to travel abroad for medical reasons, despite the serious charges leveled against him.
Koroma, 70, was charged on January 3 with four offences stemming from his alleged role in a failed attempt to topple the government in November. The high court’s decision to allow his travel has raised eyebrows, particularly in light of concerns that his indictment could exacerbate domestic tensions linked to the 2023 election.
President Julius Maada Bio secured a second term in the 2023 election, although the main opposition candidate rejected the results, and international partners raised questions about the integrity of the vote.
Koroma’s legal team has vehemently denied the charges, describing them as “trumped up” and part of a broader political vendetta. A Reuters reporter at Freetown’s airport witnessed Koroma boarding a Nigerian presidential plane on Friday afternoon, bound for the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
Reuters reports that upon arrival, Koroma was greeted by Nigerian officials and the president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the political and economic bloc of West Africa. ECOWAS has not immediately responded to requests for comment, but the recent visit of the president of the ECOWAS Commission to Sierra Leone has fueled speculation that the bloc played a role in brokering a deal to allow Koroma to relocate.
