A missing woman from Texas has been discovered living with a group that claims to be a lost African tribe in a forest in Jedburgh, Scotland. Kaura Taylor, known within the group as Asnat or Lady Safi, was reported missing by her relatives in the United States. She is one of three members of the self-styled Kingdom of Kubala, which includes leader King Atehene, 36, formerly known as Kofi Offeh, and his wife, Queen Nandi.
The group set up camp in the Scottish Borders this summer, asserting they are reclaiming land taken from their ancestors 400 years ago. In video statements, Asnat has insisted she is not missing and has no intention of returning to the US. She stated, 'To the UK authorities, obviously I am not missing. Leave me alone. I'm an adult, not a helpless child.' She identifies herself as 'Asnat of Atehene, the handmaiden of Queen Nandi, the inferior mistress of my King'.
The Kingdom of Kubala says it does not acknowledge local laws and claims to have faced harassment from those who do not understand their lifestyle. The group lives off-grid, washing in a creek and dwelling in tents. Offerings to the king have included Irn Bru and shortbread. Since arriving, they have been served eviction orders and allege their shelters were torched, but they refuse to speak to police, accepting only the laws of their god, Yahowah.
King Atehene, who claims descent from the group's messiah, said, 'We live a very simple life of returning to innocence. We connect to nature... We live in a tent without walls, but we are not afraid of anyone, for we have the protection of the creator.' He described their presence in Scotland as fulfilling a 400-year-old prophecy, adding, 'The prophecy said, after 400 years, when my ancestors are destroyed from the land of Scotland... they will go into captivity and lose their identity. But after 400 years, we are here to re-establish our authority.'
