Yesterday, controversy arose over the decision made by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to transfer former Sierra Leonean President, Ernest Bai Koroma, to Nigeria today.
According to Omar Alieu Touray in a letter with reference number ECW/PC/DC/2024-001/oat, dated January 2, 2024, and addressed to President Bio of Sierra Leone, the former president has accepted the offer to be hosted in Nigeria.
“I refer to the mission to Freetown on 23 December of the high-level ECOWAS delegation led by His Excellency, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, and His Excellency, Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal.
“I am pleased to inform Your Excellency that as part of the agreement reached during the mission, the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has offered to host His Excellency, Ernest Bai Koroma, former president of Sierra Leone, in Abuja on a temporary basis. The former president has accepted the offer to be hosted in Nigeria.
“Subject to your approval, arrangements will be made to fly former President Koroma out of Freetown on Thursday, 4 January 2024. He will be accompanied by his office manager and personal assistant,” the letter reads.
The former Sierra Leonean President faced charges on Tuesday, including four counts of treason, stemming from an alleged involvement in an attempted coup and other related offenses.
Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Timothy Kabba, informed the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that the government did not endorse the suggestion to move Koroma, labeling it as a proposal from the President of the ECOWAS Commission.
Nevertheless, Touray’s statement regarding Koroma’s transfer to Nigeria, said that the government of Sierra Leone would discontinue all legal and administrative procedures against Koroma; the government of Sierra Leone will also continue to disburse to Koroma, his benefits as former president; the government of Sierra Leone will secure his residences in the various locations in Sierra Leone; and that the government of Sierra Leone will consider refunding medical and travel expenses the former president has incurred.further approval.
Ernest Bai Koroma served as President for 11 years until 2018, when the current President, Julius Maada Bio, was elected.
It’s worth noting that the former President’s daughter, Dankay Koroma, was previously listed as a wanted suspect by the police, although she has not yet addressed these allegations.