After months defying eviction notices and grabbing international media attention, 21-year-old Texan woman, alongside two self-styled “royals” claiming to rule over an “African kingdom”, has been evicted from their base in a makeshift camp inside a Scottish forest.
Kaura Taylor — who goes by the name Asnat inside the group calling itself the Kingdom of Kubala — was forced out of the encampment Thursday, Oct. 2, when Immigration Enforcement officers and Police Scotland raided the site near Jedburgh, a rural town close to the England-Scotland border.
Scottish authorities say Taylor was living as a “handmaiden” to 36-year-old Kofi Offeh, who calls himself King Atehene, and his wife Jean Gasho, 43, who calls herself Queen Nandi. The trio had been living in a wooded area since May, first on private land and later on property owned by the Scottish Borders Council.
The group was first served an eviction notice in August. After moving their camp across a fence to avoid removal, they were ultimately barred by Selkirk Sheriff Court from returning to the original site. Police and immigration officers then executed Thursday’s eviction.
According to a Home Office spokesperson, two people — believed to be Offeh and Gasho — were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences. Taylor has not been arrested but was ordered to leave the camp as the site is now being cleared by the council.
A Family’s Plea Across the Atlantic
Back in Texas, Taylor’s mother, Melba Whitehead, told British media she fears her daughter was “lured” into a cult-like group and is now living 4,000 miles away under someone else’s control.
“This isn’t just another young adult rebelling,” she said. “The difference is she’s under someone else’s spell in another country.”
Whitehead said she spotted online images of her daughter living as a “handmaiden” and has pleaded with U.K. authorities to deport her daughter back to the U.S.
Taylor, however, denies being coerced, declaring in a video that went viral, “Others are not my concern. People who care about my best interests know why I am here.”
A ‘Kingdom’ or a ‘Cult’?
The Kingdom of Kubala has claimed it is “reclaiming land stolen from ancestors 400 years ago.” Local officials have dismissed that as baseless.
“This, quite frankly, was ludicrous,” said Councillor Scott Hamilton of the Scottish Borders Council. “It broke laws. It broke the rules. And as landowners we took action.”
Hamilton added that authorities “could never guess” the group’s next move, saying they repeatedly refused to engage with the council, police or adult protective services.
As of Thursday, the Scottish Borders Council is clearing the encampment. The Home Office has declined further comment, citing an ongoing investigation.
Since being covered by U.S. media, Taylor’s situation has sparked debate in the United States about how far young Americans can be drawn into extremist or fringe groups abroad.
