Sierra Leone’s former president, Ernest Bai Koroma, departed from the West African country to Nigeria on Friday, following a court’s approval for him to travel abroad on medical grounds despite facing treason charges.
The 70-year-old ex-president was charged on Jan. 3 for his alleged involvement in a failed military attempt to overthrow the government in November.
Despite the charges, a high court ruled on Wednesday that he could leave the country.
This decision raised concerns about potential domestic tensions related to the 2023 election.
President Julius Maada Bio was reelected for a second term, but the main opposition candidate rejected the results, leading to international scrutiny.
Koroma’s legal team denounces the charges as politically motivated. Witnesses observed Koroma departing from Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, on a Nigerian presidential plane.
The plane landed in Abuja, Nigeria, where Koroma was greeted by Nigerian officials and the president of West Africa’s ECOWAS.
Speculation suggests that ECOWAS may have brokered a deal with Sierra Leone authorities to facilitate Koroma’s relocation.
