Sierra Leone’s former president Ernest Bai Koroma, charged for his alleged role in what authorities call an attempted coup, left the country and arrived in Nigeria on Friday.

Koroma landed in Abuja on Friday afternoon, welcomed by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and the president of the ECOWAS Commission Omar Alieu Touray.

Nigeria had previously offered to allow the ex-president to enter temporarily, which he accepted.

The 70-year-old, who led the West African nation from 2007 to 2018, received permission from judicial authorities on Wednesday to spend a maximum of three months in Nigeria for medical treatment.

Current president Julius Maada Bio called the court’s decision a “humanitarian gesture” during an address to the nation on Thursday evening.

Koroma’s adviser Sheriff Mahmud Ismail had said earlier that the former head of state boarded a Nigerian Air Force plane, without specifying the flight’s destination.

Mr. Koroma

Sierra Leone’s High Court earlier this week authorized the ex-president to undergo medical treatment in Nigeria “for the most three months from the date of this order and (on condition) that his sureties should provide regular medical updates, signed and duly authorized”.

Koroma, who has effectively been under house arrest since December 9, was charged in early January with four offences including treason concerning the events in late November.

On November 26, armed attackers stormed a military armoury, two barracks, two prisons and two police stations, clashing with security forces.

Twenty-one people were killed and hundreds of prisoners escaped before authorities were able to regain control after what they deemed a coup attempt by members of the armed forces.

At least 80 people were arrested in connection with the clashes, most of them military personnel.

Mr. Koroma

In a ceremony celebrating community spirit and private investment, Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has commissioned a market and a 2.27 km road in Eziora Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area.

Both projects were built by High Chief Sir Kenneth Ifekudu, showcasing the power of individual philanthropy and commitment to local development.

Governor Soludo eulogized Sir Ifekudu, calling him “the kind of personalities ndi Anambra should be celebrating.”

The Governor who commended the entrepreneur’s dedication to “Aku luo uno;” the Igbo concept of utilizing wealth for community benefit, highlighted the market’s potential for fostering peace and prosperity for Ozubulu and the wider Anambra community.

He reiterated his government’s emphasis on PPCP, stating, “Private individuals, communities, and companies must rise up to complement government’s efforts.”

He emphasized the importance of community-driven initiatives, highlighting ongoing government projects in Ozubulu and the development of three new planned cities including Awka 2.0, Onitsha 2.0, and the Industrial City.

The Governor outlined priorities in human capital development, including free education in public schools, free antenatal and delivery services, and other programmes aimed at empowering the underprivileged, reaffirming his commitment to running a government for the poor.

Also speaking, Chief Ifekudu expressed excitement over Governor Soludo’s presence and his strong support for the “Aku luo uno” policy.

He enumerated his contributions, including installing 600 solar lights across Ozubulu, constructing a market and 3km of road, stating that Governor Soludo’s leadership motivated him to further dedicate his resources to his community.

The event was attended by Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi, Chief Protocol Officer, Hon Chinedu Nwoye, Commissioner for Works & Infrastructure Engr Ifeanyi Okoma, Commissioner for Housing & Urban Development Pauli Onyeka, Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Mr Tony Nwabunwanne, the Obi of Ozubulu, Igwe Nnamdi Fidelis Oruche among others.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has appealed to Nigerians to give President Bola Tinubu’s administration more time to fix the economy.

Mr Uzor-Kalu, a former chief whip of the Senate, acknowledged that Nigerians were going economic hardship.

The senator spoke on Tuesday in Koli-Edda in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State when he visited the chairperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State, Stanley Okoro-Emegha.

Mr Kalu, a former Abia State governor, said Mr Tinubu was working hard to reposition the country’s economy and restore its lost glory, adding that Nigerians should give the president time.

“The APC government is cutting the cloth into pieces. Before you sew a cloth you will first cut it into pieces; so, Tinubu is busy cutting the cloth into pieces.

“So, give us another three years or two years; people are suffering. We understand that, give us more two years for the cloth we want to sew to be sewn very well,” Mr Kalu said.

The senator spoke on why the National Assembly added billions of naira to the 2024 budget.

“We said that we are going to do a census and Nigeria has put several billions of naira in planning for the national census in 2023, and if we did not vote money for the conduct of the exercise, Nigeria will be losing about N289 billion,” he said.

The senator urged Nigerian youths to be agents of positive change, by shunning social vices and any act that is capable of breaching the peace and security of the country.

Facts have emerged on how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seized the $760,910.84 that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State paid to American International School, Abuja, as prepaid school fees for four children until graduation, over alleged money laundering.

Documents obtained by Sahara Reporters on Thursday show that Governor Bello through his nephew, Mr Ali Bello had entered an agreement with the school to pay tuition for his four children up to graduation in advance to secure their future.

The agreement was signed and executed on August 23, 2021. Following the execution of the agreement, a total of $845.852.84 was paid into the school account in varied instalments.

However, the anti-corruption agency as part of its oversight function, subsequently invited the school authorities for a series of interviews connected with the funds through a letter dated September 7, 2023, after about one year.

Sources told Sahara Reporters that during the interrogation of officials of the school, the EFCC noted that the advanced school fees were proceeds of crime. It said that the school was being used as an unwitting money laundering tool and demanded that it should refund the monies to the agency through a dedicated account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“During the interviews, the EFCC further informed the school authorities that the commission was empowered to seize the total funds or any portion thereof.

“Following a review of the academic history of Governor Bello’s children with the school, the EFCC accepted that fees paid in relation to ongoing school sessions at the time did not amount to proceeds of crime and exempted the sum of $84.942.00. “Subsequently, the commission made a demand for transfer of the of $760.910.84, representing advance tuition payment to its nominated account with the Central Bank of Nigeria,” documents obtained by Sahara reporters show.

Following the development, the school management wrote a letter dated October 27, 2022, to the EFCC, requesting an official written demand for the refund of the monies, but the anti-graft agency provided an account to which the monies should be paid.

The school first paid $1,000 and later paid the remaining $759,91084 to the account.

Meanwhile, Ali Bello is being prosecuted by the EFCC over a N3 billion fraud.

Bello was arraigned in February alongside others at the Federal High Court on 18 counts of money laundering and misappropriation of about N3 billion.

The other co-defendants are Abba Adauda, Yakubu Adabenege, and Iyada Sadat. Another defendant, Rashida Bello, is at large.

The Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of 11 new Justices of the Supreme Court.

Their confirmation followed the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.

The Senate approved the recommendation of the committee, which screened the nominees.

The report was presented before the Senate by Borno North Senator and chairman of the committee, Senator Mohammed Monguno.

President Bola Tinubu had on Wednesday, 20th December, asked the Senate to confirm the 11 nominees.

The nominees were recommended by the National Judicial Council, NJC, to fill vacant positions that arose as a result of the death and resignation of some Justices of the Supreme Court.