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Mohamed Kamarainba, former Chairman of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP), has condemned Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Fatima Jabbe-Bio, for continuing to occupy a taxpayer-subsidized council flat in London despite owning multiple luxury properties in Africa.
Kamarainba described the situation as “morally and completely wrong,” citing Southwark Council’s eligibility rules for social housing, which require tenants to use the property as their primary residence. He shared the council’s guidelines on his Facebook page, sparking widespread debate.
According to Southwark’s housing policy, applicants must either:
- Have lived in the borough continuously for five years,
- Work in Southwark with a proven housing need (such as overcrowding or medical necessity), or
- Have served in the armed forces within the past five years.
Those ineligible include individuals who own property, are subject to immigration control, or have exhibited behavior deemed unsuitable for tenancy.
Public records indicate Jabbe-Bio has held the tenancy since at least 2007, though she relocated to Sierra Leone in 2018 after her husband, President Julius Maada Bio, took office. The First Family now resides in a high-end presidential compound in Freetown, complete with a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a helipad.
Despite this, neighbors claim Jabbe-Bio has visited the London flat as recently as late 2024, and her daughter has been seen collecting mail addressed to the First Family. The arrangement has drawn criticism amid London’s severe housing crisis—Southwark alone has over 18,000 households on its waiting list, with average waits exceeding five years for council homes.
Southwark Council declined to comment on specific cases but emphasized that tenants must comply with housing agreements. A spokesperson stated that compliance checks are conducted when necessary.
The controversy has intensified as the First Family faces separate allegations of ties to Dutch drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, who reportedly shifted his cocaine operations to Sierra Leone and has been seen with President Bio’s associates.
Jabbe-Bio, a former actress turned activist, has been lauded internationally for her campaigns against child marriage and gender-based violence, earning her the title of “First Lady of the Year” at the 2024 London Political Summit.
Kamarainba’s criticism has drawn pushback from supporters of the First Lady, including APC politician Sylvia Blyden, who defended Jabbe-Bio’s occupancy in a Facebook post.
