Thousands of civilian residents and traders in the Mammy area, Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, have been displaced by the Nigerian Army.
The demolition of the popular Mammy market, which targets structures around the 3 Battalion Nigerian Army Barracks, located along the DSC Expressway, NPA Road, and the Sapele Road axis, has left scores of families homeless and traders without shops.
Military sources said the demolition was necessary to address security concerns and reclaim government land that had been encroached upon.
However, residents said soldiers supported by bulldozers moved into the area as early as 6 a.m., pulling down shanties, container kiosks, shops, residential buildings and beer parlours that had operated for years close to the barracks fence.
Some alleged they were given as little as 24 hours to three days to vacate, after initially being told that only hotel operators were affected.
With the demolition, residents, both legitimate and criminal, are now scattered across towns and cities within Delta State.
Community leaders in Uvwie claim that over 2,000 hectares (4,640 acres) were acquired, but less than 10 per cent is occupied by the barracks and Mammy Market.
The dispute over compensation and ownership has led to repeated protests by Uvwie women and legal actions over the years.
“Initially, they told us that only hotels had been asked to leave and that those of us living here were not the target. But by Wednesday morning, we saw soldiers shouting, ‘No Mammy again, no Mammy again,’ and ordering all of us to move,” a resident was quoted as saying.
Recalled Mammy Markets are a feature of Nigerian military barracks and National Youth Service Corps camps, serving as social and economic centres for personnel and their families.
The concept is traced to Mammy Maria Ochefu, who, in 1959, began selling soft drinks, including kunu, to supplement her family’s income in a barracks.
In Effurun, the market has existed for decades alongside the barracks. The barracks itself was constructed after the then Mid-Western government acquired the land in 1975.
Aside from normal goods such as tomatoes, livestock and other food items, security sources have long associated parts of the Effurun Mammy Market area with illegal activities, including large-scale drug dealing and arms dealing.
Security surveillance teams have issued an advisory urging residents to look out for unfamiliar faces in their environment, stay vigilant, keep their properties safe, avoid late-night movements in unsafe areas, and report any suspicious activity to the nearest security agent.
“Security is everyone’s business, so we need your maximum cooperation to achieve a safer society,” the groups said, adding that they would work to ensure safer Uvwie, Okpe and Warri communities.
The Army is yet to issue an official statement on the demolition exercise.
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