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Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has called on the Sierra Leonean government to create room for dialogue and engagement as former President Ernest Bai Koroma returned to Sierra Leone on Sunday.
Jonathan said the Nigerian government had worked behind the scenes with other stakeholders to help facilitate Koroma’s safe and dignified return.
“Working quietly with others, we encouraged dialogue and engagement with Sierra Leonean authorities to help create the conditions for his safe and dignified return,” Mr Jonathan said.
He also bade farewell to Mr Koroma, describing Nigeria as a country that had provided the former Sierra Leonean leader with a home for more than two years.
“Safe travels, my brother,” Mr Jonathan said. “Sierra Leone welcomes you home.”
Koroma left Sierra Leone in 2024 after he was accused of treason in connection with the failed coup attempt of November 2023. He denied the allegations and was subsequently allowed to travel to Nigeria on medical grounds.
The Sierra Leonean government dropped the treason charges against him in July 2026, clearing the way for his return.
Sunday’s arrival marks the former president’s second visit to Sierra Leone since leaving the country. His first return was to attend the ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit in Lungi earlier this year.
He is now expected to settle permanently in Sierra Leone and continue his retirement in his hometown of Makeni.
Koroma, who served as president for two terms, handed over power to President Julius Maada Bio in 2018 after a presidential election.
His return has been welcomed by supporters and senior figures within the All People’s Congress (APC), many of whom travelled to Lungi to receive him.
The arrival marks a new chapter for the former president following more than two years in Nigeria.
