Sierra Leone ex-president returns after case dropped

Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma has returned to the capital, Freetown, after more than two years of self-imposed exile in Nigeria. His arrival on Sunday, September 6, 2026, follows the discontinuance of treason and other criminal proceedings that were instituted against him following a deadly unrest in November 2023. Koroma, who led Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, departed for Nigeria in January 2024, days after being charged with treason and related offenses. The charges stemmed from investigations into attacks on military installations, prisons, and police stations in November 2023, which authorities described as an attempted coup. During these events, armed individuals clashed with security forces, resulting in 21 deaths. While the legal proceedings were pending, Koroma had been granted permission by judicial authorities to travel to Nigeria for medical treatment. He remained in Nigeria for over two years, longer than initially permitted. The legal situation shifted in July 2026 when Sierra Leone's Attorney General and Minister of Justice formally discontinued the criminal proceedings against the former president.