The Federal Government has described former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma’s more than two-year stay in Nigeria as a period marked by restraint and statesmanship, saying his conduct contributed to efforts to resolve the political issues that had forced him into exile.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu made the assessment in a statement she issued on Monday.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu who accompanied Koroma back to Sierra Leone on Sunday, described his return as the culmination of sustained regional diplomatic and confidence-building efforts involving Nigeria, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other stakeholders.
Koroma relocated to Nigeria in January 2024 following ECOWAS-led engagements aimed at promoting peace, political understanding and stability in Sierra Leone.
In the statement, the minister said the former president’s conduct during the period contributed to the diplomatic efforts that eventually created conditions for improved understanding between him and Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio.
“His conduct throughout this period of relocation to Nigeria reflected restraint, statesmanship, and commitment to a peaceful outcome,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
She added that sustained engagements involving ECOWAS, the Nigerian government and other stakeholders had helped resolve the issues that necessitated Koroma’s relocation.
The minister accompanied Koroma to Freetown on the instruction of President Bola Tinubu, while former President Olusegun Obasanjo also joined the delegation for the former Sierra Leonean leader’s return.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed appreciation to President Bio, Koroma and the people of Sierra Leone for their cooperation and commitment to peace.
She said Nigeria remained committed to regional harmony, constitutional order and democratic stability, expressing confidence that Koroma’s return would further strengthen reconciliation and peace in Sierra Leone.
Koroma, who governed Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, had left for Nigeria after being charged with treason and other offences linked to the November 2023 security crisis in Sierra Leone. He was initially expected to spend three months in Nigeria for medical treatment but remained there for more than two years.
Sierra Leone’s Justice Ministry discontinued the proceedings against Koroma in July 2026, paving the way for his return. He had also briefly returned to Sierra Leone in July to attend an ECOWAS summit at the invitation of President Bio.
Koroma arrived in Freetown on Sunday and said he was happy to be back home, bringing to an end his extended stay in Nigeria.
