When Europeโs most wanted drug lord becomes your family friend, claiming ignorance isnโt just dishonest, itโs insulting to the nation!
by Fatima Babih, EdD
There are moments in political interviews when a single response destroys years of carefully constructed public image. Sierra Leoneโs First Lady, Fatima Jabbie Bio, just delivered one of those moments.
When BBC reporter Megha Mohan asked how Europeโs most wanted drug dealer ended up cozy with the Presidentโs family, Fatima Bioโs response wasnโt denial, concern, or shock.
It was breathtaking arrogance:
โWhoever is in that room is none of my business.โ
A convicted cocaine trafficker sentenced to 24 years appears at the Presidentโs intimate family church service. He is photographed with the Presidentโs daughter. Heโs comfortable enough to attend the most exclusive political private gathering in Sierra Leone.
And the First Ladyโs response?
โNone of my business.โ
That wasnโt just dishonest. That was a confession.
The Narco-Family Photo That Started It All
In January 2025, the world discovered something Sierra Leoneans suspected but couldnโt prove: their First Family runs in very interesting circles.
The evidence came from Fatima Bio herself.
She posted a video of the Presidentโs annual family church service in his home village, Tihun, an intimate gathering of family members, cabinet officials, and trusted political allies. Not a public event. Not an open church service. A private First Family private church gathering.
When Fatima Bio posted the video, she was just doing her usual social media bragging posts about her and her family having a good time celebrating the new year. Little did she know that opposition leader Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray had learned about Jos Leijdekkers, aka โChubby Jos โone of Europeโs most wanted cocaine traffickers.
When Kamarainba saw Fatima Bioโs post, he recognized Leijdekkers and posted messages about the strange white man in Fatima Bioโs family video. That was when the flood gates opened and Sierra Leoneans came to find out the facts about the special guest attending church with Sierra Leoneโs first family.
Leijdekkers wasnโt hiding in the back of the church. He wasnโt sneaking around. Instead, he was sitting comfortably in the third row while the President and First Lady occupied the front. More damning: He was photographed interacting closely with Agnes Bio, the Presidentโs daughter.
This wasnโt accidental proximity. This was family-level access.
Fatima Bioโs Circular Logic
When Mohan asked the obvious question, โDo you know who Jos Leijdekkers is?โ Fatima Bio could have simply said no and moved on. Instead, she delivered a masterclass in circular reasoning:
โI have no idea who he isโฆ I wouldnโt know because I am not a criminal so, I would not know him.โ
This is the circular logic of someone who thinks the public is stupid. Her reasoning,
โIโm not a criminal, therefore I canโt know criminals.โ
The question was not โAre you a criminal?โ The question was โDo you know who Leijdekkers is?โ
By substituting the real question with moral self-defense, Fatima Bio revealed something crucial: Sheโs more concerned with protecting her image than addressing the obvious security implications.
Maybe in Another Life
The Sarcasm of Guilt
When confronted with allegations about Leijdekkersโ relationship with the Presidentโs daughter, Fatima Bioโs response was telling:
Really, maybe in another life?
Notice whatโs missing:
- Genuine shock at the allegation
- Concern about a drug trafficker near her family
- Demands for investigation
- Outrage at the suggestion
Instead: Theatrical sarcasm.
Thatโs not the response of someone hearing disturbing news for the first time. Thatโs the response of someone who knows exactly whatโs being discussed and is annoyed at having to address it publicly.
The Non-Denial Denial
When pressed about reports that Leijdekkers allegedly has a child with the Presidentโs daughter, Fatima Bio deployed classic corrupt politician language:
โThese are all the lies I am not going to validate.โ
This is political speak 101.
Notice she doesnโt specifically deny:
- Leijdekkersโ relationship with the First Family
- The Presidentโs daughterโs alleged child with him
- Any specific factual claims
She just labels everything collectively as โliesโ without addressing the specifics.
Thatโs not a denial. Thatโs deflection.
And deflection is what guilty people do when they canโt deny facts but donโt want to admit them.
The Confession
But Fatima Bioโs most damaging moment came with this response:
โWhoever is in that room is none of my business.โ
This statement is so arrogant, so disconnected from reality, that it becomes a confession.
Letโs break down what sheโs claiming:
The Presidentโs annual family church service is โnone of her business,โ despite being THE FIRST LADY.
The guest list for the most exclusive political gathering in Sierra Leone is โnone of her businessโ despite posting the video herself.
A convicted cocaine trafficker mingling with her family and political allies is โnone of her businessโ despite the obvious national security implications.
This isnโt ignorance. This is arrogance.
The Arrogance of Impunity
When Fatima Bio says the guest list is โnone of her business,โ sheโs revealing how power really works in Sierra Leone:
- Translation: โWe donโt vet our associates because we donโt care about their backgrounds as long as they serve our interests.โ
- Translation: โDrug traffickers are welcome in our inner circle as long as they stay quiet and contribute to our personal wealth.โ
- Translation: โNational security is less important than our familyโs business relationships.โ
- Translation: โDonโt ask inconvenient questions about who funds our lifestyle.โ
What makes Fatima Bioโs responses so revealing is the casual arrogance behind them. Sheโs not panicked. Sheโs not scrambling for explanations. Sheโs not concerned about national security implications.
Sheโs annoyed that anyone dares to question her association with Leijdekkers. This is the arrogance of someone who believes she is above accountability. Someone who thinks Sierra Leoneans should accept whatever explanation she gives them and stop asking uncomfortable questions. Someone who believes power means never having to justify anything.
This isnโt isolated behavior. This is part of a broader pattern for Fatima Bio. Financial Questions (OCCRP Investigation):
Evidence: $2.1 million in unexplained property purchases
Response?
I was married to a footballer, Google him
Pattern: Deflection instead of documentation
Educational Questions:
Evidence: Timeline contradictions in school attendance claims
Response: Attack questioners as misogynistic
Pattern: Outrage instead of clarification
Drug Trafficker Questions:
Evidence: Europeโs most wanted appearing at family events
Response: โNone of my businessโ
Pattern: Arrogant dismissal instead of concern
Every time: deflection, attacks, dismissal, never documentation, transparency, or accountability.
Sierra Leoneโs Narco-State Reality
This controversy isnโt happening in a vacuum. Itโs unfolding while:
- Cocaine shipments connected to Sierra Leone continues making international headlines
- Drug abuse among Sierra Leonean youth devastates communities
- Concerns about state capture by transnational criminal networks grow
- International reports link Sierra Leone officials to drug trafficking networks
Against this backdrop, a convicted European cocaine trafficker appearing comfortable at the Presidentโs family gathering isnโt just suspicious, itโs a smoking gun.
And when the First Ladyโs response is โnone of my businessโ rather than shock and concern, sheโs telling Sierra Leoneans everything they need to know about her priorities.
The Insult to Sierra Leoneans
The most offensive part of Fatima Bioโs BBC performance wasnโt the evasion or the arrogance.
It was the assumption that Sierra Leoneans are too stupid to recognize corruption when they see it. She actually expects people to believe:
- She has no idea who attends her familyโs intimate gatherings
- She doesnโt know anything about a man photographed with her stepdaughter
- She bears no responsibility for guest lists at events she organizes and films
- National security concerns about drug traffickers are โnone of her businessโ
Thatโs not just dishonest. Thatโs contemptuous. It reveals exactly what this Fatima Bio thinks of the Sierra Leonean people: that theyโre gullible enough to accept any explanation, no matter how absurd.
If Fatima Bio were genuinely unaware of Leijdekkersโ identity and concerned about national security, her response would have been:
โI had no idea who this person was. If heโs truly a wanted drug trafficker, this is deeply concerning. Iโm immediately calling for a full security investigation into how he gained access to our family events. We will cooperate fully with any international extradition requests and ensure this never happens again.โ
Instead, we got sarcasm, deflection, and โnone of my business.โ
That tells Sierra Leoneans that Fatima Bio not only knows exactly who is Jos Leijdekkers, she has a personal relationship with him as her husband does.
The International Embarrassment
Think about what this BBC interview accomplished.
- Before the interview: International suspicions about Sierra Leoneโs drug connections
- After the interview: Confirmation that the First Family either doesnโt care about or actively welcomes drug trafficker proximity.
Fatima Bio didnโt deny the allegations, she proved them. By treating legitimate security concerns with arrogant dismissal, she confirmed that:
- Drug traffickers, like Leijdekkers, have family-level access to Sierra Leoneโs leadership
- The First Family doesnโt vet their associates
- National security is subordinate to personal relationships
- Sierra Leoneโs government operates like a criminal enterprise
Fatima Bio turned a potential denial into a confession.
Her Message to the Youth in Sierra Leone
While communities across Sierra Leone struggle with drug abuse and youth addiction, their First Lady Fatima Bio just sent a clear message:
- Drug trafficking isnโt concerning if you are benefiting from it financially.
- Criminal backgrounds donโt matter if you serve the first family.
- National security is less important than personal wealth accumulation.
- Power means never having to explain your associates.
What kind of country are we building when the First Family normalizes relationships with international drug traffickers?
The Arrogance That Destroys Nations
Fatima Bioโs casual dismissal of legitimate security concerns reveals the corrupt mindset at Sierra Leoneโs highest levels:
She believes that accountability is optional.
She perceives questions as attacks.
She assumes Sierra Leoneans will accept any explanation.
She prioritize personal relationships over national security.
She treats her husbandโs public office like a private business.
This isnโt governance. This is organized crime with government aesthetics.
History is filled with leaders whose arrogance blinded them to their own vulnerability. Fatima Bioโs โnone of my businessโ response will be remembered as the moment Fatima Bio revealed her contempt for Sierra Leonean intelligence. Thatโs the kind of arrogance that destroys nations.
And Sierra Leone deserves leaders who understand that everything involving national security IS their business.
The Bottom Line
When Europeโs most wanted drug dealer appears at your family gathering and your response is โnone of my business,โ youโre telling the world everything it needs to know about your priorities.
- Fatima Bioโs BBC interview wasnโt a denial of corruption; it was an admission of complicity.
- She didnโt clear her familyโs name; she confirmed Sierra Leoneโs reputation as a narco-state.
- She didnโt show concern for national security; she revealed contempt for accountability.
The interview that was supposed to clean Fatima Bioโs image instead exposed her true character. And character, once revealed, cannot be hidden again.
When drug traffickers are family friends and accountability becomesโnone of my business,โ democracy is already dead. Sierra Leone deserves leaders who understand the difference.
This is Part 2 of the โShape-Shifting Narrativesโ series examining how Sierra Leoneโs First Lady uses media manipulation to avoid accountability while revealing the corrupt mindset at the countryโs highest levels.
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