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Former President Koroma of Sierra Leone gets asylum in Nigeria on medical treatment

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2 years ago

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Former President Koroma of Sierra Leone gets asylum in Nigeria on medical treatment

By: Bodunrin 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 within the ECOWAS and Nigeria 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 of demand for the ex President by ECOWAS

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 the All Peoples Congress (APC) beating Solomon Barewa of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) to become the 4th President of the country in 2007, coming green from the corporate world.

He was succeeded by the current President Julius Maada Bio who has had several security and economic challenges since assumption of office trying to stabilize the country which is still struggling from the scars of a brutal Civil war suffered by the small west African country.

Former President Koroma of Sierra Leone gets asylum in Nigeria on medical treatment

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Police repel bandits, rescue six kidnapped victims on Yankara-Funtua highway in Katsina

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5 hours ago

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January 25, 2026

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Police repel bandits, rescue six kidnapped victims on Yankara-Funtua highway in Katsina

By: Zagazola Makama

Police in Katsina State have successfully rescued six kidnapped victims after intercepting an armed bandit attack on Yankara-Funtua highway in Faskari Local Government Area.

Sources said on Jan. 24 at about 1:25 a.m., unidentified armed bandits blocked the highway and abducted six occupants of a green Honda Civic, registration number AAA 518 BC, en route from Funtua to Faskari.

The DPO Faskari, on routine patrol, promptly engaged the hoodlums in a tactical gunfight.

The bandits were overpowered and fled into the bush, abandoning their mission. All six victims, Rabi Hamisu, Safare Musa, Abubakar Samaila, Shehu Umar, Sara’u Yahaya, and Ibrahim Babangida, were rescued unharmed and safely returned to their homes.

Intensive patrols continue in the area, while efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects are ongoing.

Police repel bandits, rescue six kidnapped victims on Yankara-Funtua highway in Katsina

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Suspect arrested for trespassing, attempting robbery at Bauchi Emir’s palace

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7 hours ago

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January 25, 2026

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Suspect arrested for trespassing, attempting robbery at Bauchi Emir’s palace

By: Zagazola Makama

A 20-year-old man, Umar Hamza, was apprehended Wednesday night for trespassing and attempting to steal from the Emir of Bauchi’s residence.

Sources said Hamza entered one of the Emir’s son’s rooms carrying a bunch of keys and tried to commit theft around 8:20 p.m. on January 23.

He was intercepted shortly after the act and taken into the Police custody for questioning.

Police said Preliminary inquiries indicate the suspect intended to steal from the palace.

Suspect arrested for trespassing, attempting robbery at Bauchi Emir’s palace

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VP Shettima Returns To Abuja, Says Nigeria Firmly Back On Global Economic Frontline

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7 hours ago

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January 25, 2026

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VP Shettima Returns To Abuja, Says Nigeria Firmly Back On Global Economic Frontline

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Abuja after a week-long diplomatic and economic mission to Guinea-Conakry and Switzerland.

This is just as he said Nigeria has reclaimed a frontline seat in global and regional policy conversations.

VP Shettima arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Saturday after representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the inauguration of Guinea’s President, Mamadi Doumbouya, and leading Nigeria’s delegation to the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos.

According to the Vice President, the trip is part of Nigeria’s renewed commitment to regional solidarity in West Africa and its determination to reposition the economy under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.

The Vice President had departed Abuja for Conakry, where he attended President Doumbouya’s inauguration, reaffirming Nigeria’s leadership role within ECOWAS, while opening new pathways for bilateral cooperation in agriculture and manufacturing.

From Guinea-Conakry, Senator Shettima proceeded to Davos, Switzerland, where he led the Nigerian delegation at the WEF 2026.

One of the highpoints of his engagements in that country was the commissioning of Nigeria House Davos, the Nigeria’s first-ever sovereign pavilion on the Davos Promenade, designed as a permanent investment hub showcasing opportunities in solid minerals, agriculture and the digital economy.

At a high-level WEF session titled, “When Food Becomes Security,” the Vice President outlined Nigeria’s new national food security framework, describing agriculture as a strategic pillar of national security and macroeconomic stability.

Vice President Shettima also joined former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, to advance the Accra Reset Initiative, a forum advocating African industrialisation driven by domestic capital and value chains rather than foreign aid.

On the economic front, the Vice President told investors that Nigeria’s macroeconomic indicators were stabilising, citing a projected 4.4 per cent GDP growth in 2026 and a decline in inflation to 12.94 per cent.

He also pointed to Nigeria’s imminent transition into a net exporter of refined petroleum products, anchored by the Dangote Refinery, and the growing export of digital talent.

VP Shettima Returns To Abuja, Says Nigeria Firmly Back On Global Economic Frontline

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