Two arrested as 'African tribe' evicted in raid on group's woodland camp

Two people have been arrested over suspected immigration offences as a self-styled African tribe was evicted from a Scottish forest.

The group, who have named themselves the Kingdom of Kubala, have been living in woods in Jedburgh, near the border of England, since May. After they were served with an eviction notice in August, as they were on private land, the trio last month moved their campsite over a fence to a neighbouring plot of land owned by the Scottish Borders Council.

At Selkirk Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Sheriff Peter Paterson ruled that the trio would not be able to return to the original plot of land they were evicted from. Officers from Immigration Enforcement and Police Scotland went to the site on Thursday.

It is understood that a Ghanaian man and an American woman were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences. A Home Office spokesperson said: "It would not be appropriate to comment while an investigation is ongoing." Councillor Scott Hamilton, deputy leader of the local authority, said police, sheriff officers and other agencies went to the camp and evicted the trio.

He told Sky News: "So, this group obviously arrived in Jedburgh a number of months ago. They set up camp here.

"They were originally on Scottish Borders Council land, and they set up camp and claimed they were a Kingdom of Kubala. And this, quite frankly, was ludicrous.

"It broke laws. It broke the rules.

And as landowners we took action, as well as private landowners, to ensure this outcome today." Mr Hamilton said you "could never guess" the group's next move, with the trio refusing to engage with the council, Police Scotland and adult protective services. He added that "all they wanted was publicity".

The group is made up of Kofi Offeh, 36, who calls himself King Atehene, his wife Jean Gasho, 43, who calls herself Queen Nandi, and "handmaiden" Kaura Taylor, 21, who goes by the name of Asnat. The members of the self-proclaimed "kingdom" have said they are reclaiming land that was stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago.

Mr Hamilton branded their claim "ludicrous.