… No official ban, no Return
The death of All People’s Congress (APC) National Chairman Hon Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray has reignited debate over former President Ernest Bai Koroma’s prolonged absence from Sierra Leone. Mansaray, the formal Hon Member passes away at the age of 75, in Dakar, Senegal, on Monday, June 15, 2026, after a prolonged illness. It was disclosed that the late man just celebrated his 75th birthday three days earlier. His remains was transferred to a mortuary in Dakar, with repatriation to Sierra Leone on dignified burial.
Ernest Bai Koroma, who served as Sierra Leone’s President from 2007 to 2018, left the country in January 2024 after the High Court granted him a three-month medical leave to seek treatment in Nigeria. He has remained abroad since, facing treason charges related to an alleged attempted coup.
Appeals from APC Leaders
A good number of both home and abroad APC members have publicly appealed to President Julius Maada Bio to allow formal president Ernest Bai Koroma to return in order to attend brother s funeral.
Adams Bangura, a UK-based APC member, wrote an open letter to President Bio dated June 15, 2026, urging him to “exercise constitutional powers to grant clemency, lift all restrictions, and allow Koroma to return home permanently”. Bangura described Mansaray as “like a brother” to Koroma, noting they shared decades of political and personal ties.
“I am certain that the former President is devastated by this loss,” Bangura wrote. “And I am equally certain that, if the late Chairman had been granted a final wish, it would have been to have his brother, Ernest Bai Koroma, stand by his graveside and lay him to rest”.
APC spokesperson Sidie Yayah Tunis also appealed to the government, stating: “The late Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray was like a brother to former President Koroma. They practiced politics together for many years. It would be very difficult and painful if the former President is unable to attend his funeral”.
The Question is Did President Bio Stop Him?
There is no confirmed evidence that President Bio has formally blocked Koroma’s return for the funeral. However, the situation is more complex than a simple yes or no.
Formal president Koroma’s absence from Sierra Leone is not voluntary in a straightforward sense. He departed in January 2024 under a court-ordered medical leave while facing treason charges. His legal status means any return would require navigating judicial and political hurdles.
President Bio has acknowledged Koroma’s situation publicly. In a press briefing, Bio confirmed that Koroma remains in Nigeria and assured that the government is “committed to ensuring that justice is served”. Bio’s comments have been interpreted as indicating the government is prepared to take steps to bring Koroma back to face trial.
Notably, President Bio issued a condolence message on Mansaray’s passing, describing him as “a respected statesman and a great politician whose contributions to our nation’s democratic journey will never be forgotten”. This gesture of cross-party respect has been noted by those urging him to go further.
Koroma faces treason charges over an alleged attempted coup in November 2023. His medical leave was originally granted for 90 days, yet he has remained in Nigeria for over two years, leading to widespread speculation that the arrangement effectively allowed him to go into exile.
Some political figures have suggested Koroma may be better off remaining outside Sierra Leone “for the sake of peace”. Others, including Koroma’s attorney Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, have called on President Bio to “consider granting pardon or taking steps that would allow the former president to return home”.
Did President Bio stop him? Based on available information, the answer is: not directly, but the legal and political framework effectively prevents his return.
No official directive blocking Koroma specifically from attending Mansaray’s funeral has been reported. However, Koroma remains abroad under a medical leave arrangement tied to active treason charges. His return would require either a resolution of his legal status or a presidential grant of clemency neither of which has been publicly confirmed.
As Bangura’s letter implored,“Temper justice with mercy. Let compassion prevail over division. Let statesmanship rise above politics”. Whether President Bio will answer that call as Sierra Leone prepares to bury one of its most prominent political figures remains the question gripping the nation
