By Lawrence Williams
Ex-president Ernest Bai Koroma has returned home to Sierra Leone after more than two years in Nigeria, following the withdrawal of treason charges against him in connection with the November 2023 attempted coup.
Koroma arrived in Freetown on Sunday and was received at Lungi by senior government officials and members of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC), the party he previously led.
Earlier today, President Julius Maada Bio held a closed-door meeting with Koroma at State House. Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh was also in attendance.
Sources said the meeting focused on peace, reconciliation and national cohesion.
Following the meeting, President Bio took to social media to welcome Koroma back home, saying: “Today at the State House, I welcomed former President Ernest Bai Koroma back to Freetown and Sierra Leone. Let us unite in purpose, reinforce our peace, and commit to building a stronger, more prosperous, and hopeful Sierra Leone.”
Koroma had spent more than two years in Nigeria after leaving Sierra Leone in January 2024 following his indictment on treason and other charges related to the 2023 failed coup. The government dropped the criminal proceedings against him in July 2026, paving the way for his return.
His return was facilitated by the Nigerian government following sustained diplomatic engagements involving ECOWAS and regional stakeholders.
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said she accompanied Koroma to Freetown on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Former president Olusegun Obasanjo was also part of the delegation.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Koroma’s return marked the successful conclusion of a regional diplomatic process aimed at promoting peace, stability and political understanding in Sierra Leone. She also described his conduct in Nigeria as one marked by “restraint, statesmanship, and commitment to a peaceful outcome.”
Speaking shortly after his arrival, Koroma said he was happy to be back home and pledged to continue contributing to peace and national cohesion.
“There will never be any substitute for home. I am back refreshed. I am back determined to continue with the efforts of building peace, ensuring national cohesion and providing advice to those who will seek my advice,” he said.
Koroma also said he would continue working through his Ernest Bai Koroma Foundation to provide counselling and mentorship to young people across the country.
“I will continue to work on my foundation to provide counselling [and] advice to young people across the country,” he said, adding that he would make himself available whenever his services were needed.
Koroma’s homecoming comes amid renewed efforts to ease political tensions in the country and strengthen national reconciliation ahead of the 2028 general elections.
