By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
A self-styled African tribe has defied eviction orders in Scotland, insisting they are reclaiming ancestral land “stolen 400 years ago”.
The three-member group, calling itself the “Kingdom of Kubala,” had been removed on Tuesday from private woodland near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders by sheriff officers. But within hours, they crossed a fence and set up camp again on nearby council-owned land.
Led by Ghanaian-born Kofi Offeh, 36, who refers to himself as King Atehehe, the group also includes Zimbabwean Jean Gasho (Queen Nandi) and American Kaura Taylor (Asnat). They argue their encampment is a symbolic act of reclaiming African land seized during the colonial era.
“We are not trespassers; we are reclaiming what belongs to our ancestors,” Offeh declared after the eviction.
Local authorities, however, dismissed the claim as unlawful. The deputy leader of the Scottish Borders Council, Scott Hamilton, confirmed new legal proceedings have begun: “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”.
Sheriff Peter Paterson had earlier issued an eviction order after the group repeatedly ignored requests to vacate. Police and officials spent nearly 90 minutes dismantling their tents and packing up their belongings before the relocation.
Since arriving in Jedburgh last spring, the “Kingdom of Kubala” has camped at multiple sites, each time facing court-backed removals. Despite this, the group has gained a strong online following, with more than 100,000 supporters across TikTok and Facebook.
Local officials say the repeated encampments have left landowners with “no option” but to seek legal redress. Hamilton described the latest move as “disappointing but not surprising”.
Unmoved by mounting legal action, the trio has vowed to remain in Jedburgh, framing their defiance as a fight for ancestral justice.
