Freetown, Sierra Leone – As of February 10, 2026, the ongoing dispute between Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, and 21-year-old law student Edwina Hawa Jamiru continues to dominate national discourse, blending themes of personal support, women’s rights advocacy, and allegations of selective justice.
The roots of the controversy trace back to late 2025, when Jamiru, a student at Fourah Bay College, successfully pursued a paternity claim against Appeals Court Judge Justice Momoh Jah Stevens.
A High Court-ordered DNA test confirmed Stevens as the father of her child, leading to mandated child support. Following the ruling, Jamiru released videos criticizing the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government, the judiciary, and specifically Dr. Bio, whom she accused of failing to support abused women despite her prominent “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign. This led to Jamiru’s arrest on December 8, 2025, on cybercrime charges including stalking and harassment, with sources pointing to her critiques of the First Lady as the trigger.
Advocacy groups, such as African Women’s R.I.S.E., condemned the detention as an example of arbitrary arrests and the weaponization of laws to silence dissent. Fatimah Babih, CEO of the organization, highlighted the case as a test of Sierra Leone’s justice system, noting that Jamiru’s relationship with Stevens began when she was a minor, framing it as exploitation rather than consensual.
Jamiru spent weeks in custody before her apparent release, though no official confirmation came from authorities. On December 22, 2025, she posted an emotional TikTok video from a dimly lit room, describing herself as a “patriotic Sierra Leonean” motivated by personal pain to advocate for abused women. She expressed remorse for any distress caused and called for closure on the matter, emphasizing her focus on personal growth and national unity.
The feud reignited in early February 2026 when Dr. Bio appeared on AYV Television’s “Wake Up Sierra Leone” on February 9. In the interview, she revealed her financial support for Jamiru’s education, stating, “I am the one paying the school fees for Edwina Jamiru.
She told me she wanted to be a lawyer, and I’m helping her with her school fees.” However, the First Lady expressed disappointment, accusing Jamiru of misconduct and dragging her into personal issues. “She had an issue, and she wanted me to get involved, but I am paying your school fees so that you can become a better person and not go and sleep around. I am not paying your school fees to do the things that you are doing, so why did you want to drag me into it?”
Jamiru responded promptly in a social media video, expressing shock at the revival of her closed legal chapter.
“That chapter is closed. I closed it before 2026 even began. Since 2025, I have moved on,” she said, rejecting allegations of immorality and clarifying, “I am not what the First Lady is saying. I did not sleep with men. I was sexually abused, and that distinction matters.”
She accused Dr. Bio of hypocrisy, given her women’s rights advocacy: “You said you are fighting for women and girls, but I did not see you fight for me or for women like me.”
Jamiru highlighted her self-represented court battle and victory, warning the First Lady against personal attacks and abuse of office, “With all due respect, you are the First Lady, and you have boundaries. I will not appreciate you crossing those boundaries by being disrespectful to my personality,” she stated.
She further defended her integrity by noting her daughter has only one father, proven by DNA, and criticized Dr. Bio for undermining vocal women: “When women speak up, you fight against us. You laugh at our pain instead of helping us solve our problems.”
Jamiru concluded by demanding respect and focusing on her studies, declaring, “Know your boundaries and where it should stop. I respect myself and the women of Sierra Leone, and I will not tolerate such disrespect again.”
Social media reactions have been mixed but intense. Blogger LeoBoi praised Jamiru’s response as a demonstration of true freedom of speech: “Nuances aside, the online saga between Fatima Bio and Edwina Jamiru makes one thing clear: in her response, Edwina demonstrates what freedom of speech truly looks like, a citizen expressing her views openly, without fear or hesitation. That’s powerful, and I commend her.”
Critics have framed the incident within broader patterns of selective justice, pointing to Dr. Bio’s history of public attacks on citizens without repercussions, contrasting with Jamiru’s arrest. One Facebook post expressed full support for Jamiru, arguing she has the right to defend herself against humiliation.
This controversy also intersects with other recent criticisms of Dr. Bio, such as her response to SLPP insider Idriss Tarawally’s warnings about her alleged political overreach ahead of 2028 elections. In that case, Dr. Bio directly engaged, framing herself as central to political spaces and implying consultations should go through her. Observers see parallels in how personal and political boundaries are blurred.
As debates rage on platforms like Facebook aand TikTok, questions linger about the role of the First Lady in private disputes, the protection of free expression, and accountability for public figures. Neither side has issued further statements since February 9, but the saga underscores Sierra Leone’s evolving conversations on gender, power, and justice.
