According to sources, Sierra Leone’s ex-president, Ernest Bai Koroma, who is charged for his alleged involvement in an attempted coup, has left the country and landed in Nigeria on Friday.
Koroma, who served as the President of Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, was granted permission by judicial authorities on Wednesday to seek medical treatment in Nigeria for a maximum of three months.
President Julius Maada Bio referred to the court’s decision as a “humanitarian gesture” during a national address on Thursday.
The High Court of Sierra Leone has authorized the ex-president to undergo medical treatment in Nigeria for a period of up to three months, under the condition that his sureties provide regular medical updates.
Koroma, who has been effectively under house arrest since December 9, was charged in early January with four offences, including treason, related to the events in late November.
The events in late November involved armed attackers storming a military armoury, two barracks, two prisons, and two police stations, leading to clashes with security forces. During the incident, twenty-one people were killed, and a large number of prisoners escaped, prompting the authorities to label it as a coup attempt by members of the armed forces.
Following the clashes, at least 80 individuals, mostly military personnel, were arrested in connection with the events.