Koroma's arrival in Abuja on Friday afternoon was marked by a reception led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and the president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray. Nigeria had extended an offer allowing the ex-president temporary entry, an offer that he accepted.

The 70-year-old, who served as the leader of the West African nation from 2007 to 2018, secured permission from judicial authorities on Wednesday to spend a maximum of three months in Nigeria for medical treatment. President Julius Maada Bio acknowledged the court's decision as a "humanitarian gesture" during a national address on Thursday evening.

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

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."

Facing charges since early January, Koroma, who has effectively been under house arrest since December 9, is accused of four offences, including treason, related to the events that unfolded in late November. On November 26, armed attackers staged an assault on a military armoury, two barracks, two prisons, and two police stations, leading to clashes with security forces.