LONDON, United Kingdom — Southwark Council in London has taken possession of a council-owned property linked to Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Fatima Bio, following a 12-month investigation by its housing investigations team.
The development comes weeks after Bio discussed the property during an interview in which she spoke about her journey from escaping a proposed child marriage to becoming Sierra Leone’s First Lady. During the interview, she defended retaining the south London flat, stating that her children are British citizens and insisting she had committed no offence. The council, however, confirmed that the property has now been recovered and will be returned to its intended use as social housing.
Okay News reports that Southwark Council said the property would be allocated to a family on its housing waiting list, which currently includes more than 18,000 applicants. Reginald Popoola, the council’s executive member for council homes, said the authority looked forward to restoring the property to its original purpose of providing secure accommodation for residents with legitimate housing needs. The council did not state that Bio had been evicted and made no allegation of criminal wrongdoing against her.
The local authority also highlighted its wider campaign against tenancy fraud and unlawful occupation, noting that 107 council properties have been recovered over the past two years. The case has attracted attention in both the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone amid ongoing pressure on affordable housing across London boroughs.
Following the council’s announcement, Bio’s office told reporters it was not aware of the report and was therefore unable to provide an immediate response. Fatima Bio has not been accused of any criminal offence in relation to the property.
