A self-styled ‘African tribe’ have continued to camp in Scottish woodland despite receiving a second eviction notice.
Scottish Borders Council had ordered the so-called Kingdom of Kubala to vacate the land, which lies on the outskirts of Jedburgh, by midday today (Monday).
However, the ‘tribe’ of three have stayed put and appear to have no plans to leave the council-owned site.
They had previously been camping on private land a few metres away, but moved to the new spot when sheriff officers were sent in last Tuesday.
The group, who have more than 100,000 followers on social media, is made up of 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.
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Offeh is originally from Ghana, Gasho from Zimbabwe and Taylor from Texas in the US.
The trio say they are reclaiming land that was stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago.
(Picture: Mike Boyd/PA Wire)
On Monday afternoon, they sat around a campfire singing songs with a number of tents and other camping equipment still on the site.
The ‘handmaiden’ said the ‘king’ would not be speaking to the media unless gifts were brought to him.
With the eviction deadline now passed, it’s understood the council will seek an order from a sheriff to remove the group.
They have camping near Jedburgh for the last few weeks and have ignored previous ultimatums to leave.
(Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
Scott Hamilton, the Conservative deputy leader of Scottish Borders Council, said last week that ‘nobody is above the law and no matter how long this takes you can be guaranteed we will not cease’.
He added that the campers had repeatedly failed to engage with the council and legal proceedings.
On Friday they wrote on Facebook: ‘The Kingdom of Kubala can never be destroyed.’
The Metro has contacted Scottish Borders Council for a comment.
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