London council seizes two-bedroom social housing flat rented by Sierra Leone’s first lady Fatima Jabbe-Bio

A London council has repossessed a two-bedroom social housing flat rented by Sierra Leone’s First Lady Fatima Jabbe-Bio, following a year-long investigation into whether the property remained her principal residence.

• Southwark Council repossessed a social housing flat in London previously rented by Sierra Leone's First Lady Fatima Jabbe-Bio after a year-long investigation into whether it was still her principal residence.
• Jabbe-Bio had not lived in the flat since 2018, after her husband became Sierra Leone's president and they moved to the Presidential Lodge in Freetown.
• Council rules require tenants to use the rented property as their main home and notify the council if they are absent for more than 42 days.
• Jabbe-Bio denies wrongdoing, stating she maintained payments and family ties to the UK, and there is no evidence of discrimination or criminal charges against her.

According to The Guardian UK, Southwark Council recovered the council-owned flat in Walworth, south London, after examining Jabbe-Bio’s continued use of the property.

Jabbe-Bio, 46, had held the tenancy since 2007 and reportedly lived in the flat until 2018, when her husband, Julius Maada Bio, won Sierra Leone’s presidential election.

Since then, the couple have lived at the Presidential Lodge, a state residence in the hills above Freetown. The property reportedly has a swimming pool, tennis courts and a helipad.

Council moves to recover property

Under Southwark’s tenancy rules, council tenants must use their homes as their “only or principal home”.

The regulations also require tenants to notify the council in writing if they intend to remain away from the property for more than 42 consecutive days. Annual checks are conducted to confirm that tenants continue to meet the conditions of their agreements.

“We can confirm we have taken possession of a property in Walworth following a 12-month investigation by our housing investigations team,” Reginald Popoola, Southwark’s executive member for council homes, said.

The council did not disclose the findings of the investigation or clarify whether Jabbe-Bio surrendered the tenancy voluntarily.

However, it confirmed that the flat would be reassigned to a household on its housing waiting list.

“I look forward to bringing this council property back to its original purpose, which is to provide a safe and secure home for people with legitimate housing need on the council’s waiting list,” Popoola said.

Jabbe-Bio denies wrongdoing

Jabbe-Bio has rejected suggestions that she acted improperly, arguing that she continued to pay for the property and maintained strong family ties to Britain.

“My children are all British citizens. I’m paying for my council house myself. I have not committed any crime,” she told the BBC.

There is no indication that Jabbe-Bio has been charged with an offence. Southwark Council has also not announced a fine or stated that it intends to recover any money from her.

Meanwhile, the available evidence does not establish that the council’s decision was discriminatory. British law prohibits housing discrimination based on race, nationality or ethnic background.

Instead, the dispute centres on whether the Walworth property still qualified as Jabbe-Bio’s principal home under the terms of the tenancy.

Britain’s social housing pressure deepens

The case comes amid a growing shortage of social housing in Britain.

About 1.34 million households were on local authority housing registers in England by March 31, 2025, the highest level recorded since 2014.

London faces the most severe pressure. More than 341,000 households were on social housing waiting lists across the capital in 2025.

In Southwark alone, more than 18,000 households are waiting for social housing, while about 4,000 remain in temporary accommodation. Some applicants wait more than five years before receiving a permanent home.

Against that backdrop, local authorities have stepped up efforts to recover properties where tenancy conditions may have been breached.

Southwark said it recovered 107 homes over two years while investigating suspected tenancy fraud and unlawful occupation.

Flat located in high-value London market

The Telegraph also supported this account in a May report, noting that comparable two-bedroom properties in the area were estimated to sell for about £385,000, while private tenants could pay more than £2,300 a month.

Council tenants typically pay below-market rents, although Southwark Council has not disclosed how much Jabbe-Bio paid for the flat or its official value.

From asylum seeker to first lady

Born in Sierra Leone, Jabbe-Bio moved to Britain as an asylum seeker in 1996 at the age of 16 after reportedly escaping an arranged marriage to a man in his 30s.

She later built a career as an actor, model, screenwriter and film producer.

In 2012, she met Julius Maada Bio, now 60, in London while interviewing him about influential Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora. At the time, Bio was raising funds for his first presidential campaign.

Jabbe-Bio became Sierra Leone’s first lady following his election in 2018. President Bio won a second term in 2023.