Sierra Leone’s ex- President Ernest Bai Koroma is scheduled to undergo medical treatment in Nigeria, notwithstanding facing allegations of involvement in a coup attempt, last year.
On Wednesday, the High Court granted him a three-month leave, sparking widespread speculation regarding a potential exile arrangement.
Mr. Bai Koroma, who governed Sierra Leone for 11 years until 2018, received permission to depart the country while awaiting his treason trial scheduled for March. President Julius Maada Bio currently holds office, succeeding him.
On Friday afternoon (January 19, 2024), a Nigerian presidential jet carrying the 70-year-old former president was observed departing from Freetown International Airport.
Persistent rumors suggest that a deal may have been facilitated by the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, in collaboration with the Sierra Leone government to enable Mr. Bai Koroma’s relocation, potentially easing tensions stemming from the unrest in November.
The unfolding situation is amid uncertainty, with observers questioning the nature of the former president’s departure and its implications for the impending legal proceedings.
Who’s afraid of the ‘New Africa’ convention in Ghana? By Chido Nwangwu
