Obasanjo, Odumegwu-Ojukwu accompany ex- President Koroma back to Sierra Leone

•Jonathan: how his two-year stay in Nigeria ended

Former President  Ernest  Koroma has returned to Sierra Leonean  after more than two years of temporary stay in  Nigeria.

He was accompanied yesterday  to Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

A statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry added that Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, on the instruction of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also  followed the ex-President to his country.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who facilitated Koroma’s return in his capacity as special envoy, saw him off to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.   

 Koroma served as Sierra Leone’s president from 2007 to 2018 before leaving for Nigeria in January 2024, after being charged with treason and other offences over the November 2023 unrest in the country.

The upheaval, which the Sierra Leonean authorities described as an attempted coup, left 21 people dead and led to the escape of hundreds of prisoners.

Jonathan, who described Koroma’s stay in Nigeria as “home away from home,”  expressed gratitude that the country supported him.

He said he had worked with others to encourage dialogue with the Sierra Leonean authorities to create conditions for Koroma’s safe return.

Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement by Magnus Eze, special assistant on Communication and New Media(Office of the Minister), that  Koroma’s  return to Sierra Leone concludes a regional diplomatic and confidence-building process.

The ministry credited the development to  engagements by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that were  aimed at promoting peace, stability and political understanding in Sierra Leone.

According to the statement, the process helped create conditions for greater understanding between President Julius  Bio and the former president.

“His conduct throughout this period reflected restraint, statesmanship, and commitment to a peaceful outcome,” the statement quoted Odumegwu-Ojukwu as saying.

The minister noted that during his stay in Nigeria, sustained engagements involving ECOWAS, the Nigerian government and other stakeholders contributed to resolving issues that  necessitated his relocation.

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

Odumegwu-Ojukwu said 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.