Authorities in Scotland are preparing further legal action against a self-styled “African tribe” who have been camped in woodland near Jedburgh, since spring, despite repeated eviction orders. The town, surrounded by rolling hills and dense woodland close to the English border, has become an unlikely setting for a dispute that many locals have described as surreal.The group — Ghanaian-born Kofi Offeh, 36, who calls himself King Atehehe; his wife, Zimbabwean-born Jean Gasho, 43, who uses the title Queen Nandi; and 21-year-old American Kaura Taylor, who refers to herself as Asnat and has been described as their “handmaiden” — first arrived in the Scottish borders earlier this year..They claim they are reclaiming land stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago, a claim that sits uneasily in a quiet rural corner better known for abbey ruins and sheep farming than for royal proclamations.After being ordered off private land, the trio simply shifted their camp a short distance onto council property. Sheriff officers later served another eviction notice, but the group responded by laughing and burning the court papers.They remain on the site, gathered around a campfire in the damp woodland, even as authorities insist their time there is running out. For many residents, the spectacle of a self-declared African kingdom staking its claim in the Scottish countryside has moved from curious to absurd..Scottish Borders Council has begun legal proceedings to secure interdicts preventing the group from occupying land in Jedburgh. A court hearing is scheduled this week, with officials expected to move in to enforce removal in the coming days. A sheriff has already granted a power of arrest if the group refuses to comply.The issue has sparked tension locally. At a council meeting, deputy leader Scott Hamilton described the group as “vile,” criticising them for using social media to spread “hatred and abuse” and questioning why police have not acted under historic trespass laws dating back to 1865.He pointed to a previous eviction that cost a landowner about £6,000 and warned that others must be “terrified” of the group setting up on their land. “The situation in Jedburgh is wholly unacceptable,” he told senior officers..Police Scotland’s divisional commander for the Borders, Chief Superintendent Gregg Banks, defended the approach, describing the case as “really complex.”He said officers were seeking a long-term solution rather than simply shifting the group from one site to another. “What I don’t think would be helpful for anyone — including the local community — is just to simply move the problem on and create further problems down the line,” he said..Concerns have also surrounded Taylor, who was reported missing from Texas before joining the couple. She has denied being held captive but declined to answer questions about whether she had been groomed.A spokesperson for Scottish Borders Council said: “The next step will be to instruct sheriff officers to remove the occupants from council land.”
