Nigeria Facilitates President Ernest Koroma’s Return to Sierra Leone

Nigeria has facilitated the return of former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma to his country after two and a half years in exile in Nigeria, marking the conclusion of a regional diplomatic process aimed at promoting peace and political stability.

In a post on X by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, on Sunday, she said she accompanied former President Olusegun Obasanjo to Sierra Leone to ensure Koroma’s “safe and dignified return” to his home country.

TVC News earlier reported that former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Sunday was also at the airport to bid him farewell before his departure from Nigeria.

“It was an emotional journey yesterday 6th Sept. 2026, and also a historic moment,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said, describing Koroma’s return as “a joyous homecoming.”

“The atmosphere was electric and charged with jubilation as our plane touched down in Sierra Leone,” the minister said.

Read Also: Ex-Sierra Leone President Koroma Returns to Freetown After Two Years in Nigeria

According to Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Federal Government facilitated Koroma’s return following sustained engagements with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

She said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described the development as “the successful conclusion of a regional, diplomatic and confidence-building process.”

Koroma relocated to Nigeria in January 2024 following ECOWAS-led mediation efforts aimed at promoting peace, stability and political understanding in Sierra Leone, during which President Tinubu was Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the process helped create conditions for greater understanding between Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio and Koroma.

She also commended Koroma for his conduct during his period in Nigeria, saying it “reflected restraint, statesmanship, and commitment to a peaceful outcome.”

The minister thanked ECOWAS and other stakeholders for their role in resolving the issues that led to Koroma’s relocation, while expressing Nigeria’s appreciation to President Bio, Koroma and the people of Sierra Leone for their cooperation and commitment to peace.

“Nigeria remains committed to regional harmony, constitutional order and democratic stability,” she said, adding that the Federal Government was confident Koroma’s return would “further strengthen national reconciliation and peace in Sierra Leone.”