By Sam Kayode
Former President Ernest Koroma of Sierra Leone arrived in Abuja on Friday for medical treatment which may ultimately culminate into an asylum.
Koroma, who was fingered in a recent failed coup in Freetown was released from house arrest after a court in Freetown permitted him to travel to Nigeria to seek medical treatment for three months.
The Former President was arrested and charged with treason, with others now in custody and was equally slammed with two counts charges of harbouring suspects believed to be involved in the botched attempt to over throw President Mada Bio.
He was later granted bail on the condition that he could not leave his house except permitted by the Inspector-General of Police.
The Former President flew to Nigeria aboard a Nigerian Air Force plane and was received by the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and the President of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Omar Touray.
Koroma finally arrived Nigeria Friday with his entire family after series of meetings with the ECOWAS and an agreement that he will move to Abuja if all the charges against him were dropped.
Sources within the ECOWAS said the sub-regional bloc (ECOWAS) had quietly arranged an agreement for the former President to go into exile in Nigeria if the charges were dropped.
Notice for the exile to commence
Sierra Leone’s foreign minister, Tim Kabba had confirmed receipt of a letter written by the President of the ECOWAS Commission detailing arrangements to allow for the temporary relocation/exile of former President Ernest Bai Koroma who has been facing treason charges.
Kabbah said that his government did not however countenance the content of the said letter “because it is a unilateral proposition by the President of the ECOWAS Commission”.
Under the terms of the letter, Koroma was to be flown to Nigeria on 4 January with all legal and administrative procedures against him dropped, keeping his full entitlement as a former President.
Koroma a veteran insurance broker widely seen as the economic messiah of the corporate world was the first minority President of Sierra Leone who served for 11 years after winning in a landslide elections.
Koroma won 54%of the popular votes under the banner of APC beating Solomon Barewa to become President of the country in 2007, coming green from the corporate world.
