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 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.
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.
“My children are all British citizens. I’m paying for my council house myself. I have not committed any crime,” she told the BBC.
However, Southwark Council has neither accused Jabbe-Bio of a criminal offence nor announced a fine or plans to seek financial compensation from her.
At the same time, no evidence has emerged to show that the repossession was discriminatory. British law prohibits housing discrimination based on race, nationality or ethnic background.
The dispute centres on whether Jabbe-Bio continued to use the Walworth flat as her principal residence, in line with the terms of the council tenancy.
As of March 31, 2025, about 1.34 million households were registered on local authority housing waiting lists in England, the highest figure since 2014, according to local reports.
London faces the greatest pressure, with more than 341,000 households on social housing waiting lists across the capital in 2025.
In Southwark, more than 18,000 households are waiting for council homes, while about 4,000 live in temporary accommodation. Some applicants wait more than five years before receiving permanent housing.
As demand continues to rise, local authorities have stepped up efforts to recover properties where tenants may have breached occupancy rules.
Southwark said it recovered 107 homes over two years through investigations into suspected tenancy fraud and unlawful occupation.
