The death has occurred of renowned philanthropist, community leader, and women’s rights campaigner, Chief (Mrs) Margaret Adija Ataguba (née Haruna), Iye-oma Onu Ife, who until her passing was a respected elder and former National Treasurer of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS).

In a statement issued in Anyigba, Kogi State, her son, Emmanuel Ataguba, speaking on behalf of the family, announced that their mother and matriarch passed away peacefully on Monday, 12 January 2026, at the age of 87 years.

Chief (Mrs) Ataguba, fondly known as Mama Ataguba, was a retired educationist and the proprietor and founder of Aunty Margie Nursery and Primary School, Makurdi. Throughout her lifetime, she touched countless lives through sustained advocacy, convening, and mobilisation of women’s groups dedicated to the advancement of women’s empowerment and children’s welfare.

Her leadership and service included her tenure as Chairman of the Benue State Women’s Association, as well as her role as founder of the Ebulejonu Daughters Development Association (EDDA). Through EDDA, Mama Ataguba provided a platform for women’s organisation, cultural preservation, and socio-economic development.

Notably, it was Mama Ataguba and the women of EDDA who initiated, designed, and popularised the iconic achi Igala a distinctive, colourful woven cloth that has since become the symbolic traditional fabric and cultural identity of the Igala people.

Chief (Mrs) Margaret Adija Ataguba is remembered as a devoted mother, matriarch, philanthropist, cultural custodian, and tireless advocate whose legacy of service, leadership, and empowerment will endure across generations.