Sierra Leone’s ex-president, Ernest Bai Koroma, facing charges linked to an alleged coup attempt, has arrived in Nigeria for medical care.
The 70-year-old, who governed Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, was placed under house arrest in December, following accusations of involvement in a failed military overthrow in November.
Amidst heightened tensions, Nigeria extended a temporary entry offer, which Koroma accepted. On Friday afternoon, he landed in Abuja, welcomed by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray.
Having received judicial permission on Wednesday, Koroma is authorized to spend a maximum of three months in Nigeria for medical treatment, described by Sierra Leone’s current president, Julius Maada Bio, as a “humanitarian gesture.”
Sierra Leone’s High Court, earlier this week, granted the former president permission for medical treatment in Nigeria, emphasizing the condition for regular medical updates from his sureties.
Koroma faces charges of treason and other offenses related to the November events, where armed attackers targeted military installations and clashed with security forces, resulting in 21 casualties and a mass prison escape.
The aftermath saw the arrest of at least 80 individuals, primarily military personnel, linked to the alleged coup attempt.
