A long chapter has finally closed for former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma has returned home after two years away.
Koroma landed in Freetown over the weekend of September 6-7, 2026.
This Koroma return to Freetown comes after Sierra Leone dropped all treason charges against him. The case had linked him to a failed coup attempt.
He first left the country in January 2024, what began as a short medical trip turned into a two-year stay in Nigeria. The Ministry of Justice withdrew the charges in July 2026.
Nigeria’s government played a major role in making his return possible. Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo also escorted him back to Freetown. Both figures were key players in the negotiations that led to this outcome.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu called it the result of serious regional diplomacy, She said the process aimed to restore peace and political stability in Sierra Leone.
She praised Koroma’s patience throughout the ordeal. “His conduct throughout this period reflected restraint, statesmanship, and commitment to a peaceful outcome,” she said.
This Koroma return to Freetown followed ECOWAS-led talks between him and President Julius Maada Bio.
The November 2023 unrest involved attacks on military sites and prisons, Koroma was charged afterward, though he always denied any role in the plot.
However, upon arrival, Koroma expressed joy at being home again, he called for unity and reconciliation among all Sierra Leoneans.
