A self-styled king of a so-called African tribe has been deported from the UK, the Home Office has confirmed, after he and his followers set up camp in the Scottish Borders claiming to be reclaiming stolen ancestral land.
Kofi Offeh, 36, who called himself King Athene, arrived in Accra, Ghana, on April 22, according to local media. He established the self-proclaimed Kingdom of Kubala alongside Jean Gasho, who styled herself Queen Nandi, and Kaura Taylor, who acted as their “handmaiden” under the name Asnat.
The group drew international attention after they erected a camp in woodland near Jedburgh in May last year. They claimed to be descendants of “black Jacobites” – Black Highlanders who lived in Scotland centuries ago – and asserted that Queen Elizabeth I had deported their ancestors, forcing them into exile across the Americas and Africa. Their stated mission was to reoccupy land they said had been stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago.
Videos of the group dancing, singing and chanting were posted on TikTok and Facebook, where they amassed tens of thousands of followers. Supporters sent them food and gifts during their time in the woodland.
The three individuals repeatedly declared that they did not recognise local laws or eviction notices, adhering only to the laws of their God, “Yahowah”. Offeh previously described himself as a descendant of the biblical King David and the messiah.
In September, the owners of the land took legal action to evict the group, arguing they had “no right of title” to the property. A sheriff issued a warrant for their removal, and they were eventually evicted – only to move to a neighbouring plot owned by Scottish Borders Council. A second eviction followed in October, when sheriff officers, police and officers from Immigration Enforcement attended the site. The group live‑streamed the removal on TikTok, and a power of arrest was granted to be used if they breached court orders.
At the time, the Home Office confirmed that a Ghanaian man – identified as Kofi Offeh – and an American woman had been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences. Offeh was subsequently deported.
The group and their background
Kaura Taylor, originally from Texas, had been reported missing by her family in the United States. Relatives expressed concern that she might have been manipulated by Offeh and Gasho. Taylor, who is a mother to a one‑year‑old child, disputed the suggestion, saying she was not missing and had left what she described as an abusive family situation. She said she was an adult and not a “helpless child”, and declared herself happy with her “King and Queen”. Her family rejected her account; her aunt said Taylor had a “sheltered” upbringing and was “brought up in church”. Taylor is understood to have met Offeh online in 2023.
Jean Gasho, a mother of seven originally from Zimbabwe, claimed in 2021 that her husband was a “millionaire king” with multiple properties. Alongside Offeh, she was remanded in jail for six months in 2024 on child cruelty charges, which were later dropped due to lack of evidence. Gasho described her time in prison as “cosy and amazing”, while also saying it was painful and that she suffered racism.
Before his involvement with the Kingdom of Kubala, Offeh worked as an opera singer. Public records link him to several dissolved companies, including Black British Entertainment, Northern Bridge Ltd and Lookgold Ltd.
The group’s antics in Jedburgh included fires and altercations, and local Conservative MP John Lamont backed the council’s eviction efforts, calling them a “make‑believe tribe” and saying it was “time for these chancers … to move on”. Offeh responded by stating: “Ignorance of prophecy and foolishness is not tolerated by the Kingdom of Kubala; Kubala is strong and established by the Gods.”
