Kingdom of Kubala - you have been evicted (again)!
Last updated 1st Oct 2025
A Sheriff has granted the "immediate extraction" of a self-styled African tribe found illegally camping in woods on the edge of an industrial estate in Jedburgh - and ordered them to pay court costs.
No-one from the so-called Kingdom of Kubala was in attendance when the case called at Selkirk Sheriff Court this morning (Wednesday).
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 were served an interim interdict at their makeshift camp on Friday.
It bans them from entering, occupying or remaining in the Darnic Parklands and Hartrigge areas of Jedburgh.
The group, who previously mocked efforts to move them on, were seen burning papers on a fire shortly after the Sheriff Officer's visit last week.
They had previously been staying on private land but re-pitched their tents just a few metres away following an earlier eviction.
The new order now covers a large swathe of council and private land.
Today's hearing, which was overseen by Sheriff Peter Paterson, lasted only a few minutes.
It heard no attempt to defend the action had been lodged by the trio ahead of the deadline on Monday.
The three members of the self-proclaimed "kingdom" have previously said they are reclaiming land that was stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago.
Sheriff Paterson said he would grant the permanent interdict when he took to the bench, shortly after 10am.
However, the group showed no sign of moving when we visited them this afternoon.
Offeh told our reporter: "I was born to destroy Laventhian, hence I'm not afraid of cockroaches who comes to my room looking for breadcrumbs. The Kingdom of Kubala is here to stay."
Conservative MP John Lamont is backing Scottish Borders Council's efforts to evict the group amid concerns the ongoing saga is wasting valuable police time and becoming a drain on the public purse.
He described the trio as a "make-believe tribe", adding it was "time for these chancers... to move on."
In response, Offeh said: "Ignorance of prophecy and foolishness is not tolerated by the Kingdom of Kubala; Kubala is strong and established by the Gods."
When asked if that means they will refuse to leave, he added: "We shall be where we have to be according to the creator of the heavens and the Earth, not man."
Members of the public, media and online influencers - including former Shameless star Kelli Hollis, who has more than 323,000 Followers on TikTok - have all visited the camp in recent hours.
And police were also called out after an altercation was captured on camera.
WATCH: Click on the link below to view our video report...
Kelli said: "I do like going down rabbit holes on the weird and wonderful stuff, because obviously the internet is just there for everybody.
"This one probably did get a grip of me more than most, I think it's just a weird and wonderful, crazy, unsettling story that goes off in so many different directions."
But she added: "I've been welcomed with big arms by Jedburgh and for me now it actually feels more how it should be a story about the community, and what they've had to go through. Their kindness has been mistaken for weakness in a lot of respects, and they seem such amazing people, and they just want their town back."
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