The self-styled King of an African tribe, Kofi Offeh, who had been camping in a woodland area in the Scottish Borders, has broken his silence after his arrest together with his handmaiden.
Offeh and Kaura Taylor, both linked to the so-called Kingdom of Kubala, were taken into custody around 8 a.m. yesterday, October 2, during a raid involving police, sheriff officers, and immigration authorities.
According to reports, Kofi Offeh was arrested for overstaying his visa and is likely to be deported.
However, the reason for Taylor’s arrest remains unclear. Jean Gasho, who identifies as Queen Nandi, was also seen being taken away.
Before his arrest and eviction, Kofi Offeh stated, “All nations belong to the kingdom of Kubala. All lands belong to the Kingdom of Kubala, for it was given to us by the creator of the heavens and the earth, and we dwell safely wherever we choose to be.
“Our ways are the ways of the creator, not us. If the creator wants us to move or leave this space because we are done with what we need to do, we shall leave. That will not come from man, for man has got no power over the Kingdom of Kubala,” Offeh said.
It will be recalled that the Jedburgh Sheriff Court had earlier ordered the eviction of the self-styled African tribe leader, Kofi Offeh and his partner Jean Gasho to vacate private land in the Scottish Borders.
Kofi Offeh and two others have been camping in woodland near Jedburgh for several weeks, describing the place as the Kingdom of Kubala.
The self-proclaimed Kingdom of Kubala claim they were reclaiming land that was stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago.
However, the local council said they were breaking the law.
Sheriff Peter Paterson issued the eviction order to the three members of the self-proclaimed Kingdom of Kubala, which takes effect immediately after the group ignored a previous instruction to vacate the area.
In court, Kofi Offeh and the two others were not represented at the Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
According to reports, Kofi Offeh, 36 and his partner Jean Gasho, 42, from Zimbabwe, first arrived in the Jedburgh area, describing themselves as King Atehehe and Queen Nandi, setting up camp on a hillside above the town in the Scottish Borders.
They were later joined by a handmaiden, Kaura Taylor, from Texas, who calls herself Asnat.
The group claimed ancestral rights to land but was initially evicted; instead of leaving the area, they moved a mile further out to settle in a woodland.
Landowners David and Mary Palmer successfully applied to the courts for the tribe to be evicted.
Scott Hamilton, the Jedburgh councillor, said the group were breaking the law by taking up residence on someone else’s land.
He added that the landowner had been left with no option but to seek an order from the sheriff.
Deputy leader of the council, Mr Hamilton, noted that it was disappointing – but not surprising – that the group had ignored the ultimatum to leave the site.
He said, “ They have rebuffed every opportunity to engage with us. We can help them, but we won’t sit back and let them break the law”.
Mr Hamilton asserted that social media comments by the group about discrimination against the community had upset a lot of people in the area.
The self-proclaimed Kingdom of Kubala has a growing online presence, with more than 100,000 followers on TikTok and Facebook, and worldwide media attention.
Mr Offeh, following the court order, said the group were not afraid of the warrant for their eviction.
Speaking to the media at the campsite, he stated, “The creator of the heavens and the Earth is the one with us. And we are not afraid of whatever the court – the so-called court – has granted”.
When asked if they were going to move elsewhere, Mr Offeh added, “If the creator of the heavens and the earth wants us to move from this land, he shall find us a place to go”.
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