Former Sierra Leone President Charged With Treason, ECOWAS to Relocate Him to Nigeria

• The Sierra Leonean government has charged former President, Ernest Bai Koroma, with treason over an attempted coup
• Koroma, who denied any involvement in the attack has been under house arrest since being questioned over the coup.
• The former president’s lawyer, Joseph Kamara, described the charges against his client as a "dangerous precedent"

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy

Free Town, Sierra Leone - This is not the best time for former Sierra Leone President, Ernest Bai Koroma, as he has been charged with treason.

Koroma was also charged with other offences in connection with an attempted coup that led to the death of 20 persons in November 2023, BBC reported

It was gathered that gunmen broke into a military armoury and several prisons in Freetown, freeing almost 2,000 inmates.

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The former president has, however, denied any involvement in the attack.

Koroma, who was president for 11 years until 2018, when current President Julius Maada Bio was elected has been under house arrest since being questioned over the coup.

ECOWAS reportedly trying to broker a deal

According to BBC, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are working on a deal for Koroma to go into exile in Nigeria if the charges were dropped.

Koroma had reportedly agreed to the deal as seen in a letter.

However, the country’s Foreign Minister, Timothy Kabba, said the Sierra Leonean government did not support the proposal.

Kabba described the proposal as a "unilateral proposition" by the president of the ECOWAS Commission.

Koroma's lawyer describes charges as "dangerous precedent"

Reacting to the charges, Koroma’s lawyer, Joseph Kamara, told the BBC he was:

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"shocked and in utter disbelief", saying the charges set a "dangerous precedent". "A dark cloud has shadowed the skies of our country, meaning that we are dragging a former head of state - democratically elected - on trumped-up charges under a political vendetta."

ECOWAS relocates Koroma to Nigeria

ECOWAS Commission president, Omar Touray said Koroma will be relocated to Nigeria on Thursday, January 4 2024.

Touray disclosed that the relocation was part of the agreement reached by the mission to Freetown on December 23, 2023, The Punch reported.

According Touray's statement, Koroma has accepted the offer to be relocated to Nigeria.

Sierra Leone declares nationwide curfew over alleged attempted coup

There are fears of a coup in Sierra Leone following a reported military breach.

Multiple reports cited by Legit.ng indicate that some unidentified gunmen attacked a military barracks and attempted to break into an armoury in the capital, Freetown, on Sunday, November 26.

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The Sierra Leonean government has declared a nationwide curfew to contain the development.

Tinubu Speaks on Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau Coup Attempts

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has said ECOWAS is ‘unequivocally against any form of unconstitutional change of government in the sub-region’.

Tinubu, who is also the chairperson of the ECOWAS heads of state and government, said this Sunday, December 10, at the 64th extraordinary session of the authority of heads of state and government.

Source: Legit.ng