Former President Ernest Bai Koroma publicly thanked President Julius Maada Bio on Monday for enabling his return after over two years in Nigeria, pledging to support national cohesion, peace, and development.

Koroma made the remarks during a visit to State House in Freetown, where he personally expressed his appreciation for the decision and support that allowed him to come home, according to a State House statement. Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh accompanied him.

“Mr President, it is good to be back here at home. I have to be here to thank you personally for the great decision you took on my return,” Koroma said. He assured Bio of his commitment to national unity and offered his experience whenever needed, emphasising that his dedication to Sierra Leone transcends political differences.

President Bio welcomed the former leader, acknowledging the significance of his return and the value of his experience as a former Head of State. “God has put you in this position before, and only a few of us can come here as President. It is good that you are back home,” Bio said. He stressed that Sierra Leone’s progress requires contributions from all citizens regardless of political affiliation.

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Koroma returned to Sierra Leone on September 6, 2026, after more than two years in Nigeria. He had left in January 2024 after a court granted him permission to travel for medical treatment while facing treason charges related to the November 2023 attacks on military facilities and prisons. The government discontinued those proceedings in July 2026.

His homecoming followed sustained diplomatic engagement involving Nigeria, the Economic Community of West African States, and other stakeholders. Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo accompanied him back to Freetown. ECOWAS commended both the Sierra Leonean government and President Bio for facilitating the return.

Sierra Leone’s Parliament passed a resolution on July 16, 2026, urging the government to introduce legislation safeguarding the welfare, dignity, and privileges of former Presidents and Vice Presidents. The resolution came shortly after the treason charges were dropped.

The Pension and Retiring Benefits of Presidents and Vice Presidents Act of 1986 provides the legal framework for pensions and retiring benefits to retired Presidents and Vice Presidents. Parliament’s resolution seeks to formalise protections and benefits for former holders of the country’s highest offices.

Koroma served as President from 2007 to 2018. He has consistently denied any involvement in the November 2023 attacks. His return has drawn wide public attention, with many viewing it as an important moment for political healing after years of tension.