A self-styled Ghanaian king and his partner have been forcibly evicted from council-owned land in the Scottish Borders, ending months of standoff with local authorities.
- The Kingdom of Kubala was evicted from council-owned land in the Scottish Borders after months of disputes.
- The eviction involved police, sheriff’s officers, and immigration enforcement officials, and was widely documented online.
- Key members of the group were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences during the operation.
- The group claimed ancestral rights to the land and utilized social media to amplify their stance globally.
A self-styled Ghanaian king and his partner have been evicted from a rented property in Scotland and will now face immigration charges, after authorities discovered discrepancies in their status.
The eviction, which was livestreamed on TikTok, saw members of the group removed from a wooded area near Jedburgh by police, sheriff’s officers, and immigration enforcement officials.
Kofi Offeh, 36, a Ghanaian who calls himself King Atehene, and “handmaiden” Kaura Taylor, originally from Texas, were handcuffed and arrested on suspicion of immigration offences. Another member, Jean Gasho, 43, originally from Zimbabwe and who identifies as Queen Nandi, left quietly in the back of a pickup truck.
The group has claimed they were reclaiming land taken from their ancestors 400 years ago and had refused to recognise the authority of the courts in eviction proceedings.
Drone footage and social media livestreams captured the scale of the operation, which began at 08:00 local time.
By 10:00, the cordon was lifted, allowing journalists back into the area to witness council workmen dismantling the camp and disposing of blankets, clothes, food, and other belongings.
Global Attention for a Local Dispute
The Kingdom of Kubala has garnered international attention due to its active online presence. Their TikTok and Facebook accounts boast more than 100,000 followers, and their defiance of local authorities has been widely covered, including in a previous Business Insider Africa report, which highlighted how social media amplified the group’s claim to the land and drew commentary from audiences across Africa and beyond.
According to Jedburgh and district councillor Scott Hamilton, the eviction represents a long-awaited resolution for local residents and businesses.
“It has been a long effort by the local council, police and other services to achieve this outcome,” Hamilton said. He noted that the area, described by authorities as industrial land, hosts operating businesses that had faced ongoing disruptions due to the presence of the group.
The eviction follows a series of court orders: last week, the court granted an order banning the group from any council land in the area, while a Wednesday hearing forbade them from returning to private land they had previously occupied.
Mr. Offeh and Ms. Gasho first arrived in Jedburgh in the spring and established a camp on a hillside above the town, later joined by Ms. Taylor, also known as Asnat.
While the Kingdom of Kubala projected its narrative of ancestral reclamation globally, local authorities pursued legal remedies over several months to enforce Scottish land rights.
The group’s arrest for potential immigration violations further highlights the intersection of social media activism, cross-border movement, and national legal frameworks, an issue that continues to gain relevance in an era where online followings can shape international narratives around local disputes.
