Former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, travels to Nigeria for medical treatment

Sierra Leone's former president, Ernest Bai Koroma, has been given permission to travel to Nigeria for medical treatment, overriding the fact that he is due to stand trial for his alleged involvement in a coup attempt last year. The High Court approved his departure for a maximum of three months, describing it as a "humanitarian gesture." However, it is widely believed that a deal has been struck allowing Mr. Koroma to go into exile. His trial for treason is scheduled to begin in March. Mr. Koroma, who governed Sierra Leone for 11 years until 2018, when President Julius Maada Bio was elected, was seen leaving Freetown International Airport on a Nigerian presidential jet. Anonymous sources from the United Nations and Ecowas, a group of West African countries, have informed the BBC that Ecowas brokered a deal for Mr. Koroma to seek exile in Nigeria if the charges were dropped to ease tensions following the November unrest. The BBC has obtained a letter confirming Mr. Koroma's agreement to the deal, which would allow him to retain the privileges of a former president even while in Nigeria. In a national address, President Julius Maada Bio emphasized that the fate of his predecessor was solely in the hands of the judiciary, and the courts had granted permission for Mr. Koroma to leave the country for medical reasons, suspending his trial for the duration of his absence. He stressed that this did not diminish the seriousness of the ongoing trials and served as further evidence that "the trial is not a political witch-hunt, but one aimed at uncovering the truth behind the events of November 26." The attack on that day involved armed assailants storming a military barracks and prisons, resulting in the escape of approximately 2,000 inmates. The government deemed this to be an overthrow attempt, leading to the subsequent arrest of over 80 suspects, many of whom were members of Sierra Leone's military. Dankay Koroma, the former president's daughter, has been listed as a suspect wanted by the police in connection with the failed coup, although she has not provided any comment on the matter. The attempted coup occurred five months after a disputed election, in which President Bio secured a second term amid rejection by Mr. Koroma's All People's Congress party and criticism from international observers concerning the lack of transparency in the vote count.