'Kubala Kingdom' sings in defiance as council makes renewed bid to evict them from Jedburgh woods
Last updated 22nd Sep 2025
A self-styled African tribe remain camped out in woods in Jedburgh this afternoon (Monday) - despite a noon deadline for them to leave the local authority-owned land.
The so-called Kingdom of Kubala was ordered to vacate land on the edge of Oxnam Road Industrial Estate by midday on Monday, after Scottish Borders Council began legal action to evict them.
They had previously been staying on private land but re-pitched their tents just a few metres away after sheriff officers moved in.
The "tribe" - which is made up of leader Kofi Offeh, 36, the self-proclaimed King Atehene, his wife Jean Gasho, 43, who calls herself Queen Nandi, and "handmaiden" Kaura Taylor, who calls herself Asnat - has been documenting its daily activities online.
Visitors have continued to arrive with gifts for the group.
However, it was forced to make a plea to its followers for donations of power banks as one of its live streams came to a sudden end - just as Jean complained that a reporter, who arrived with a carton of orange juice, had sat down before the "King" had taken his seat.
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Earlier on Monday afternoon, the group - which has added a gazebo to protect them from the weather - sat around a campfire singing songs with a number of tents and other camping equipment still on the site, showing no intention of leaving.
The "handmaiden" said the "king" would not be speaking to the media unless gifts were brought to him.
It is understood the council will shortly seek an order from a sheriff to remove the trio now that the deadline has passed.
Temporary barriers have been put up at a nearby factory to prevent them moving onto neighbouring land.
On Tuesday last week, sheriff officers carried out the eviction from their previous campsite, though they simply set up a new camp on the other side of a small fence.
They had been camping near Jedburgh for the past few weeks and have ignored previous ultimatums to leave.
Last week, Scott Hamilton, the Conservative deputy leader of Scottish Borders Council, said that "nobody is above the law and no matter how long this takes you can be guaranteed we will not cease".
He said the group had repeatedly failed to engage with the council and legal proceedings which would enable an eviction had begun.
The three members of the self-proclaimed "kingdom" have previously said they are reclaiming land that was stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago.
In a post on Facebook on Friday, they said: "The Kingdom of Kubala can never be destroyed."
Both police and the fire service have visited the site in recent days.
A Scottish Borders Council spokesperson said: "The legal process to remove the occupants from the Council’s land has commenced and officers will proceed through the next steps as quickly as possible."
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