While more than 336,000 households await social housing in London, Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Fatima Jabbe-Bio, continues to rent a council flat in Southwark — despite living in a presidential mansion in Freetown and reportedly owning multiple properties abroad.
Jabbe-Bio, 44, who moved to the UK in the early 2000s to pursue a career in acting, was granted tenancy of the two-bedroom Southwark council property in 2007. She lived there with her husband, Julius Maada Bio, before his 2018 election as president of Sierra Leone. Since then, the couple have resided in the state-owned presidential lodge in Freetown — a lavish residence complete with a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a helipad.
Despite her relocation, electoral and housing records indicate that Jabbe-Bio remains the registered tenant of the Southwark property. She has voted from the address multiple times since 2009 and also registered a company there in 2008. According to Southwark council, the flat has had the same tenant since 2007 — a potential breach of housing rules that require council tenants to use the property as their main home.
Neighbours said Jabbe-Bio has occasionally returned to the flat, including a recent visit in late 2023. “She came with executive cars — black Mazdas — and went into the house,” one neighbour said. Her 19-year-old daughter, Tigda Soley, was registered to vote at the address last year and is reported to stop by to collect mail addressed to her mother and the president.
Meanwhile, investigations by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) claim Jabbe-Bio owns two luxury villas in The Gambia, a high-end apartment, and an entire residential building — assets that contrast sharply with the ongoing housing emergency in London.
In Southwark alone, more than 18,000 households are waiting for council homes, with over 4,000 in temporary accommodation. The average wait for a three-bedroom flat in the borough exceeds five years. At about £560 per month, council rents in Southwark are less than a quarter of current market rates — making council flats highly sought after.
“This is a time of unprecedented demand for housing, with homelessness at record levels,” said John Glenton of the Riverside Group housing association. “Every council property is vital.”
The first lady, who has gained international recognition for campaigning against child marriage and gender-based violence, has delivered speeches at Harvard and the United Nations. In 2024, she received the “First Lady of the Year” award at the London Political Summit — an event hosted in Parliament.
The Bio family has also faced increasing scrutiny over links to Jos Leijdekkers, a Dutch drug trafficker wanted by European authorities. Leijdekkers, who has reportedly lived in Sierra Leone for over two years, was filmed seated near the presidential couple at a church service. He is in a relationship with President Bio’s daughter, Agnes, a UN diplomat.
Asked about the Southwark property, the council declined to discuss individual cases. A spokesperson said: “Tenants must use council properties as their main residence. Where there is doubt, we conduct investigations to ensure compliance.”
Neither Jabbe-Bio, President Bio, nor Soley have responded to requests for comment. credit: The Times
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