London/Freetown — Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, has pushed back against recent UK media reports claiming she was evicted from a taxpayer-subsidised council flat in South London, describing the story as outdated and politically motivated.
In a social media post, Mrs. Bio questioned the feasibility of an eviction, noting that she does not reside in the property.
“How do you evict a person who does not live in a property?” she asked. She emphasised that the termination of the tenancy was consensual, stating, “Termination is consensual, and both parties agree and sign.”
The two-bedroom flat in Southwark (Walworth area), which she had held since 2007, became the subject of scrutiny after investigations by The Times and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
Reports highlighted that Mrs. Bio, who lives in the presidential palace in Freetown with her husband, President Julius Maada Bio (elected in 2018), continued the tenancy while her British-citizen children occasionally used the property. Southwark Council, facing a waiting list of over 18,000 households for social housing, acted following the media exposure, repossessing the flat after a reported 12-month investigation into compliance with rules requiring it to be the tenant’s principal home.
Mrs. Bio has previously defended the arrangement, telling the BBC that she pays the rent herself, has committed no crime, and that the flat serves her UK-citizen children. Critics, including some UK politicians and Sierra Leonean voices, argued it was inappropriate for a wealthy first lady with significant property holdings in Sierra Leone and Gambia to retain subsidised social housing intended for those in need.
In her latest response, the First Lady labelled the reports “stale news” and suggested she is being targeted. She directly blamed the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party, pleading, “APC allow me to breathe,” and adding, “…It is my time.”
This comes amid broader controversies surrounding her and her family’s wealth and property acquisitions, which have drawn attention in both British and Sierra Leonean media.
Prominent APC member Sylvia Olayinka Blyden has urged Mrs. Bio to stop linking the opposition to her personal controversies. Southwark Council has not publicly commented on individual cases but has indicated it investigates tenancies when obligations appear unmet.
