Two people from a self-styled “African tribe” who had been living in a Scottish woodland were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences after officers from Immigration Enforcement and Police Scotland moved in to clear the encampment near Jedburgh, ending a weeks-long standoff that had drawn national attention and alarmed local officials. The group, which calls itself the Kingdom of Kubala, is led by 36-year-old Kofi Offeh, who uses the title King Atehene, alongside his wife, 43-year-old Jean Gasho, who styles herself Queen Nandi, and 21-year-old American national Kaura Taylor, known within the group as Asnat. Authorities confirmed that a Ghanaian man and an American woman were detained, and said it would be inappropriate to comment further while inquiries continue. Police Scotland said it had assisted partner agencies during the operation in the Oxnam Road area of Jedburgh on Thursday 2 October.
The arrests followed a Selkirk Sheriff Court ruling barring the trio from returning to the original private plot from which they had been evicted after weeks camping in the Borders woodland. After being served an eviction notice for trespass in late summer, the group had shifted its camp over a boundary fence onto a neighbouring area owned by Scottish Borders Council, prompting a fresh legal action and plans for enforcement. Council deputy leader and local councillor Scott Hamilton, who attended on Thursday, described a heavy police presence and said the site was being cleared, adding that the outcome offered “some relief” to residents after months in which the group refused to engage with the council, Police Scotland or adult protection teams. (Sky News)
Offeh, Gasho and Taylor had said publicly that they were reclaiming land in Scotland they believe was stolen from their ancestors centuries ago, framing their presence as a spiritual and historical act and styling their household with royal titles and ceremonial language. The claim—repeated in social videos and in brief exchanges with journalists—sat at the centre of their woodland occupation and was cited again this week by supporters posting online as officers approached the camp. Local authorities rejected the justification, pointing to civil court orders, land ownership records and safety concerns raised by neighbours. (Sky News) @aaron_morton_2007 Moors northern tribe kingdom of Kabala arrested by uk immigration enforcement #scotland #uk #kingdomofkabala #fyp #police ♬ original sound – Aaron_Morton_2007
The sequence leading to Thursday’s intervention began with the group’s arrival in the area around May, according to residents and officials. In August the landowner served notice on the camp, and by mid-September a sheriff granted an immediate eviction order covering the private plot. When the three crossed onto adjoining council-owned ground rather than leaving the area, the local authority moved for its own action and coordinated with Police Scotland and the Home Office on an enforcement plan. On Wednesday Sheriff Peter Paterson ruled the group could not reoccupy the private land, clearing the way for officers to act across both sites. (Sky News)