A London council has taken back a council flat linked to Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Fatima Jabbe-Bio, after a year-long investigation into whether the home was still being used in line with housing rules.
Southwark Council confirmed that it had taken possession of the two-bedroom property in Walworth this week. The flat had been rented in Ms Jabbe-Bio’s name for years, but questions were raised after she moved to Sierra Leone in 2018 when her husband, Julius Maada Bio, became president.
Council housing rules are clear that a council property must be the tenant’s main home. That requirement has become central to the case, as Ms Jabbe-Bio has spent recent years living in Freetown, where the presidential family is based.
Reports have said the president and first lady live in the official presidential lodge, a large residence said to include a swimming pool, tennis court and helipad. Despite this, Ms Jabbe-Bio kept the South London tenancy, arguing that the flat was still being used by her children.
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In a BBC interview last month, she defended her position and said she had done nothing wrong.
“My children are all British citizens,” she said. “I’m paying for my council house myself. I have not committed any crime.”
Ms Jabbe-Bio has reportedly been listed on the tenancy since 2007 and had lived in the taxpayer-supported property for more than a decade before leaving the UK.
But neighbours were said to have questioned how often the flat was being used, with some claiming it had appeared largely empty for at least the past three years. They also said they had not seen Ms Jabbe-Bio since she left London for Sierra Leone.
Southwark Council said the property would now be returned to the housing system and given to a family in real need.
Reginald Popoola, the council’s executive member for council homes, said the authority had acted after a 12-month investigation by its housing investigations team.
He said: “We can confirm we have taken possession of a property in Walworth following a 12-month investigation by our Housing Investigations Team.
“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.
“This property will be swiftly allocated to a local family in genuine housing need.”
The case has drawn attention because it comes at a time of intense pressure on social housing in London. Across the capital, demand for council homes continues to rise, with many families spending long periods in temporary accommodation while waiting for a permanent place to live.
In Southwark alone, more than 18,000 households are waiting for a home, and around 4,000 are living in temporary accommodation. That has made the issue especially sensitive, with council leaders under pressure to make sure homes are used only by those who meet the rules.
The council said it investigates all reports of tenancy fraud and unlawful occupation. It added that in the last two years it has recovered 107 properties.
The flat linked to Ms Jabbe-Bio will now be reallocated, likely within days or weeks, to another household on the waiting list.
For Southwark Council, the message is clear: homes funded to help local people in need must be occupied according to the rules.
For families still waiting, the recovery of the Walworth flat will be seen as one small but important return of a scarce public resource.
