The family of Kaura Taylor, a missing Texas woman recently discovered living with a self-proclaimed “African” tribe in the Scottish Highlands, says they fear she has been manipulated by the group’s leaders, a couple calling themselves King Atehene and Queen Nandi — and are growing deeply concerned about her well-being.
Taylor, 21, now goes by “Asnat, Lady Safi, of Atehene” and lives in the so-called Kingdom of Kubala, a claimed patch of forest near Jedburgh, Scotland. She reportedly serves as a handmaiden to Queen Nandi.
“She went missing in May. But she wasn’t missing at all, she left to go live with these people,” Taylor’s aunt Vandora Skinner told The Independent.
“It is very stressful and difficult. It breaks our heart. We’re overly concerned about Kaura, but she doesn’t think anyone is concerned about her,” her other aunt, Teri Allen, added.
Taylor, a single mother to a one-year-old, left Texas on May 25 and entered the UK on a six-month tourist visa. Relatives only learned of her new life after she vanished, leaving a cryptic message saying she and her daughter “had to get out and explore a little bit.”
Allen described her niece’s upbringing as “very sheltered and protected.” She added, “She was brought up in church, but not their religion. Not this thing that they got going. It’s a bunch of hogwash.”
According to reports, Taylor first connected with the “kingdom” in 2023 via a Facebook group linked to a high school acquaintance.
The Kingdom of Kubala is led by Kofi Offeh, an opera singer from Ghana who calls himself King Atehene, and his wife Jean Gasho, a mother of seven who goes by Queen Nandi. The group claims to be descendants of a lost Hebrew tribe returning to reclaim land allegedly taken from their ancestors over 400 years ago.
Taylor has defended her decision to stay with the group, claiming she fled abuse at home. In a Facebook post dated August 20, she wrote:
“Yes, I’m very happy with my King and Queen. I was never missing. I fled a very abusive, toxic family who abused me sexually since I was a child! So you don’t go ‘missing’ to your abusers.”
Scottish Borders Council confirmed it is “working with Police Scotland” regarding Taylor and the group, saying it has provided “advice and information about housing options and other support services.”
Taylor’s family hopes she will return to Texas when her visa expires in November.
