The remains of Maria Mammy Ochefu, founder of the popular Mammy Market in Nigerian military barracks were on Friday, May 9, laid to rest in her hometown of Jericho Ugboju in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
She died on March 18, 2025, at the age of 85.
Mama Mammy, as she was fondly called, was the wife of the late Col. Anthony Aboki Ochefu, former Military Governor of the East Central State.
She was widely known for starting the first Mammy Market within a military barracks, a grassroots trading model that quickly spread across military formations in Nigeria and became an essential part of barracks life.
Among those in attendance was the Deputy Governor of Benue State, Sam Odeh, who described Mama Mammy as a symbol of enterprise.
“Mama Mammy was not just a market founder, she was a builder of lives and communities.
“Her vision turned into a national legacy,”; Odeh said.
