Sierra Leone’s former president, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, is marking his 71st birthday today, far from the country he once led for a decade. The former head of state has been in Nigeria since January 2024, after being granted medical leave by the Sierra Leone Supreme Court while on trial for treason.
Koroma, who governed Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, left the country on a Nigerian Air Force jet following an ECOWAS intervention. The regional body sought to ease tensions surrounding his treason charges, which stem from his alleged involvement in the failed coup attempt on November 26, 2023. Koroma has denied the accusations.
Ernest Bai Koroma, once an insurance agent, transitioned into politics in 2002. After losing the presidential race that year to the late Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, he served as the leader of the opposition in Parliament before winning the 2007 presidential election.
He defeated then-vice president Solomon Berewa in a run-off, securing his position as president, where he focused on infrastructure, energy, health, and raising the minimum wage.
Reelected in 2012, Koroma’s government promoted policies such as Prosperity for All and Attitudinal and Behavioral Change (ABC). After leaving office, he continued to contribute to African democracy by leading election observation missions across the continent.
Koroma remained a significant figure in Sierra Leone’s politics as the leader of the All People’s Congress (APC) until stepping down in 2022.
Before departing for Nigeria, Koroma had been under house arrest, facing charges of treason, misprision of treason, and harboring. The accusations relate to the November 26, 2023, attempted coup, during which armed men, including some of Koroma’s former bodyguards, stormed the nation’s main armory and the Pademba Road prison, releasing over 2,000 inmates. The attack resulted in 18 deaths before being quelled by security forces.
Koroma’s legal team, led by Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, maintains that the charges are “trumped up” and politically motivated. “This is a clear attempt to tarnish his reputation and erase his legacy,” Kamara said, urging for fairness in the judicial process.
Following negotiations led by ECOWAS officials, including the body’s president Omar Alieou Touray and former Senegalese president Macky Sall, Koroma was allowed to leave for medical treatment in Nigeria. Although the initial leave was set for 90 days, Koroma has missed multiple court dates, with his trial now rescheduled for November 18, 2024.
In the wake of the attempted coup, numerous individuals were arrested and tried in Freetown. While some suspects were captured in neighboring Guinea and extradited, others were apprehended by local communities.
Eleven individuals were convicted of treason, with sentences ranging from 30 to 182 years. Additionally, the military has conducted court martials for 27 personnel allegedly involved, with some already convicted.
