A London council has taken possession of a public housing property linked to Sierra Leone’s First Lady Fatima Bio following a year-long investigation.
Southwark Council confirmed the move after renewed attention on the south London property, which Bio discussed during a recent interview with BBC Global Women. In the interview, she spoke about fleeing a proposed child marriage, seeking asylum in Britain and later becoming one of Sierra Leone’s most prominent public figures.
Bio also defended keeping the council flat, saying her children were British citizens and that she was paying for the property herself.
“I’m paying for my council house myself. I have not committed any crime,” she said.
Southwark Council did not accuse Bio of criminal wrongdoing, nor did it say she had been evicted, despite claims circulating in some media reports.
Reginald Popoola, Southwark Council’s executive member for council homes, said the authority had taken possession of a property in Walworth after a 12-month investigation by its 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,” Popoola said.
He added that the property would be “swiftly allocated to a local family in genuine housing need.”
The case has attracted attention in both the UK and Sierra Leone because of the severe pressure on social housing in London. Southwark Council says more than 18,000 people are currently on its housing waiting list, with even those in urgent need often facing years-long delays.
The council also pointed to wider efforts to recover properties linked to tenancy fraud or unlawful occupation, saying 107 council homes had been recovered over the past two years following investigations.
Bio, who is married to Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, has become an internationally visible advocate on women’s rights and violence against women. In 2022, she attended a Buckingham Palace reception hosted by Queen Camilla alongside several other high-profile royal and political figures.
Following Southwark Council’s announcement, BBC Global Women contacted Fatima Bio’s office for comment.
A spokesperson said they were not aware of the report and were not in a position to respond.