While it is not good for an Igbo like myself to talk about Ijaw, I'll have to refer you people to pre-colonial books. Ijaws actually occupied the waterside from around Bayelsa all the way to Lagos. They are actually not land people hence they tend to leave people to occupy lands which they 1st settled. The other half Ijaw known as Eastern Ijaw were not really Ijaw. Even Jonathans Ogbiya was not Ijaw. They called the West Ijaw and themselves by different names. Most of them have Igbo origin and Ijaw influence to form new ethnicities. Nembe/Brass, Ogbiya, Kalabari, Bonny and Opobo are some of the Eastern Ijaw groups. However they have recently decided to do away with their differences and come out with one voice as Ijaw, hence the claim of 4th largest ethnic group.

As for the ethnic composition of Rivers of which my mother is from, Ikwerre is the largest ethnic group with over 1.5 million people. Rivers State does not officially recognise Ijaw and Igbo as ethnic groups in the State.

Abagworo: While it is not good for an Igbo like myself to talk about Ijaw, I'll have to refer you people to pre-colonial books. Ijaws actually occupied the waterside from around Bayelsa all the way to Lagos. They are actually not land people hence they tend to leave people to occupy lands which they 1st settled. The other half Ijaw known as Eastern Ijaw were not really Ijaw. Even Jonathans Ogbiya was not Ijaw. They called the West Ijaw and themselves by different names. Most of them have Igbo origin and Ijaw influence to form new ethnicities. Nembe/Brass, Ogbiya, Kalabari, Bonny and Opobo are some of the Eastern Ijaw groups. However they have recently decided to do away with their differences and come out with one voice as Ijaw, hence the claim of 4th largest ethnic group.

As for the ethnic composition of Rivers of which my mother is from, Ikwerre is the largest ethnic group with over 1.5 million people. Rivers State does not officially recognise Ijaw and Igbo as ethnic groups in the State.

LOL please show us the pre-colonial books that says Ijaws occupied Lagos and not River state ?

Chai Nwoke

Abagworo wetin happen, no link

No book ?

You people are just trying to cause division among yorubas and Ijaws and it would be a huge shame if they fall of it

alj harem: No book ?

You people are just trying to cause division among yorubas and Ijaws and it would be a huge shame if they fall of it

The link.
http://www.archive.org/stream/narrativeofexplo00baik/
narrativeofexplo00baik_djvu.txt

Again I repeat the from Ondo to Lagos the waterways are occupied by Ilaje and Aworis

The Arogbo ijaws in Ondo are up land and not close to the waterway.

the waterways in western delta are occupied by Itsekiris and Ilajes will central to eastwards are Ijaws

Abagworo:

The link.
http://www.archive.org/stream/narrativeofexplo00baik/
narrativeofexplo00baik_djvu.txt

good I would do a quick search on the link you provided

errrmmmmm Abagworo were in your link say Ijaws got to lagos

Again the closest ethnic group to Ijaws on the western Nigeria are Aworis followed by Ilajes and we are not Ijaws.

Infact yes we share words and dress sense DOES NOT MAKE US IJAWS.

Please get that into your thick skull.

Abagworo I did a quick search using the search tool and there was no instance in your link were Ijaws were linked with Lagos

Infact in your link it provided more insight on Yoruba history which I thank you reaffirming my post earlier

read page 22,23, 74, 340 (bini link), 360 etc

thanks

Apparently read page 379 as well

alj harem: ^^^^^^^^^^

Ijaw fishermen migrated there just as of Ilajes (Mahin, ugbo etc). There are lot of Ilajes in Lagos but they would not claim to be indigneous to Lagos (although they are now lagosians but they are yorubas) so how did Ijaws get to Lagos.

Yes again I am an Awori-egun man born and breed. We have similar dressing to Niger-deltains but we are NOT I repeat NOT ijaws but under the Yoruba ethnic nation. Yes we even share some words together like water (miri) but does NOT MAKE US IJAWS.

We have only I repeat only 4 groups or dialect indignous to Lagos which are Aworis, Eguns, Ijebus and Egbas.

Now we Aworis were never under the Oyo empire but had our kingdom. Infact in the Oyo empire the only group that had access to sea were Ijebus (If i remember correctly) thus people misinterpret this as us not being yoruba. WRONG.

Yes Ijaws and OPC of awori stock clashed because of Asari Dokubo who was making treasonable tribalistic comments about Yorubas and also having night meetings in ajegunle which is treason as far as I am concerned.

It was Egun-Awori youths that took up arms after MUCH warnings of inciteful statements, both sides suffered heavy causality but we are wiser now. This does not mean Yorubas and Ijaws are enemies. We are living in peace and we would continue to live in peace with each other.

We and Ijaws have so much intermixed that we have an Ijaw KING in Lagos Now which is higher ranked than any other ethnicity in Lagos apart from Yorubas and Edos.

I have forgotten his name now but I would post it as soon as I remember.

Andre same cannot be said of rivers state because they are indigneous to the state.

then ijaws are half caste Igbos. Miri(water in Ijaw) Mmiri(water in igbo) ijaws are Biafrans but afraid to accept their igbo ancestral origin because of Oil

Biafra4tharmy: then ijaws are half caste Igbos. Miri(water in Ijaw) Mmiri(water in igbo) ijaws are Biafrans but afraid to accept their igbo ancestral origin because of Oil

Exactly my brother, Miri is water in Awori. Anyway I could careless if Ijaws are Igbos or not, All I know is that Ijaws are a good set of people nice and kind hearted.

We the Yorubas respect them and cherish our relationship with them because both Ijaws and Yorubas think alike political and socially.

Biafra4tharmy: then ijaws are half caste Igbos. Miri(water in Ijaw) Mmiri(water in igbo) ijaws are Biafrans but afraid to accept their igbo ancestral origin because of Oil

The ijaw territories and land belong to the Igbos . Biafra stretched to the atlantic ocean and across the Niger to some part of Delta. Those who have problem with that should swim across the ocean to resettle elsewhere. Ijaws are our beloved run away brothers even Mr President is an Igbo man Mr Ebele Azikiwe Goodluck Jonathan. When Biafra come we must unite with our beloved Ijaw brothers

Biafra4tharmy: The ijaw territories and land belong to the Igbos . Biafra stretched to the atlantic ocean and across the Niger to some part of Delta. Those who have problem with that should swim across the ocean to resettle elsewhere. Ijaws are our beloved run away brothers even Mr President is an Igbo man Mr Ebele Azikiwe Goodluck Jonathan. When Biafra come we must unite with our beloved Ijaw brothers

Man do with you like It would be nice to see Ijaw-Igbo country

alj harem:

Man do with you like It would be nice to see Ijaw-Igbo country

no it wil be UNITED IGBO NATION because the ijaws wil be totally assimilated

Biafra4tharmy: no it wil be UNITED IGBO NATION because the ijaws wil be totally assimilated

Ah ok goodluck

There is no 4th majority in Nigeria. . . it will remain 3. What you observed is an incremental displacement in the East.

I can't believe it. Abagworo whom I so much respect can bring out a link without reading it or prove his claims.

Not good enough Abagworo, not good

EzeUche: The Ibibio would have been the largest group if they considered themselves as one people. Ibibio, Efik and Annang despise being called the same people even though the languages are mutually intelligible. It doesn't make sense though, because when I speak Ibibio, I can understand an Efik man speak and Annang person speak with ease.

Now that the Ijaw people see themselves as one people, this allows them to claim that title as 4th largest group. Before this notion of Ijaw, the various Ijaw groups did not see themselves as one. I doubt their numbers as well, like I doubt most Nigerian group numbers.

I hope all the proponents for Nigeria's break up see this. Even in our differnt states, we still have tribalism. I am from Akwa-Ibom and it makes me want to slap some of my tribes men (Oron) when they say they are not Calabar or they are not in the same league with Ibibios! gosh! Do we Akwa-Ibomites and cross riverans realize that it is only us that can tell the difference in our dressing, culture and language? Because the differnces are so slight they hardly even exist! please tell me why all this senseless hate? If Nigeria breaks up, Akwa-Ibom alone will have at least 7 couintries! What a pity!

Sweetlemon:
I hope all the proponents for Nigeria's break up see this. Even in our differnt states, we still have tribalism. I am from Akwa-Ibom and it makes me want to slap some of my tribes men (Oron) when they say they are not Calabar or they are not in the same league with Ibibios! gosh! Do we Akwa-Ibomites and cross riverans realize that it is only us that can tell the difference in our dressing, culture and language? Because the differnces are so slight they hardly even exist! please tell me why all this senseless hate? If Nigeria breaks up, Akwa-Ibom alone will have at least 7 couintries! What a pity!

from my last check Akwa Ibom are the first counsins of the Igbo people. They and their land are an integral part of Biafra!

Igbo people like to "claim relationship". I see why Osuofia the great sang the song, "Know mw when I'm poor not when I am rich, you claim relationship". They claim everybody around the Niger Delta are their brothers because of oil. My question now is, where did the Igbo man originate from? They would tell you they are Jews and they originated from Israel. Yet there is no clear link between them and the Jews. Uwazurike at a time was deceiving the 'inaga' riders in Owerri that they were working towards "unrestricted entry for Biafran's to Israel". For what now, to spread their 'Otokoto' lifestyle? Me thinks the Igbo man was banished from Congo for fraudulent practices. I have enough prove to this.

@ballabriggsYou insane? Igbos came from Gad the 10th son of Jacob/Israel and settled at Nri and along the riverine areas in Niger Delta. Akwa Ibom are our brothers just like the Ikwerre people in River state(Gov Amaechi)etc

@ballabriggs

ballabriggs: Igbo people like to "claim relationship". I see why Osuofia the great sang the song, "Know mw when I'm poor not when I am rich, you claim relationship". They claim everybody around the Niger Delta are their brothers because of oil. My question now is, where did the Igbo man originate from? They would tell you they are Jews and they originated from Israel. Yet there is no clear link between them and the Jews. Uwazurike at a time was deceiving the 'inaga' riders in Owerri that they were working towards "unrestricted entry for Biafran's to Israel". For what now, to spread their 'Otokoto' lifestyle? Me thinks the Igbo man was banished from Congo for fraudulent practices. I have enough prove to this.

Comments on here are geographically biased.

Someone in Lagos telling us they have met more Nupe is simply a geographical phenomenom. I have never met a Nupe man in my life cos Nupe dont come to PortHarcourt, likewise Ijaws do not travel to Lagos too much.

You would not find Ijaws in Lagos cos we dont travel within Nigeria. Port-Harcourt has always been financially viable hence no need to travel.

Abagworo:
As for the ethnic composition of Rivers of which my mother is from, Ikwerre is the largest ethnic group with over 1.5 million people. Rivers State does not officially recognise Ijaw and Igbo as ethnic groups in the State.

Ikwerre is the largest when you split Okrika, Bonny, Kalabari, Opobo etc, but not when united as Ijaw.

The population in Ikwerreland has nothing to do with the indigenous population of the Ikwerre people. Most of the population attained in their areas is recent migration.

Some of us remember when Ikwerre land was sparse, not the population explosion we see now.


Of population, Ijaw is not up to 14 million, but definitely the fourth largest if Ibibio, Annang, Efik are treated as seperate entities.

ekt_bear: Ijaw may not even be the largest ethnic group in Rivers+Bayelsa, let alone Rivers.

Where did you learn this from. Google?

Ijaw is by far the largest group in Rivers+Bayelsa, because when Rivers+Bayelsa was one state, Ijawman always won the gubrnatorial election by landslide.

If you add all other groups in Rivers+Bayelsa, including Igbo, Ogoni and Andoni, they do not tally up to the Ijaw population.

Ibime: Comments on here are geographically biased.

Someone in Lagos telling us they have met more Nupe is simply a geographical phenomenom. I have never met a Nupe man in my life cos Nupe dont come to PortHarcourt, likewise Ijaws do not travel to Lagos too much.

You would not find Ijaws in Lagos cos we dont travel within Nigeria. Port-Harcourt has always been financially viable hence no need to travel.

Sorry, please how exactly does one recognize a nupe? Saying that Port-hacourt is where you'll find Ijaws more and not Lagos or any other big city. Now, what's the population of port-hacourt where Ikwerres and eastern Igbos are more in number individually than Ijaws.

Ibime:
Ikwerre is the largest when you split Okrika, Bonny, Kalabari, Opobo etc, but not when united as Ijaw.

The population in Ikwerreland has nothing to do with the indigenous population of the Ikwerre people. Most of the population attained in their areas is recent migration.

Some of us remember when Ikwerre land was sparse, not the population explosion we see now.


Of population, Ijaw is not up to 14 million, but definitely the fourth largest if Ibibio, Annang, Efik are treated as seperate entities.

How many local governments doe Ikwerrres occupy then compare it with that of those small Ijaw groups of which some of them are not Ijaws. Ikwerres make up 40 to 50% of rivers state.

Ibime:
Where did you learn this from. Google?

Ijaw is by far the largest group in Rivers+Bayelsa, because when Rivers+Bayelsa was one state, Ijawman always won the gubrnatorial election by landslide.

If you add all other groups in Rivers+Bayelsa, including Igbo, Ogoni and Andoni, they do not tally up to the Ijaw population.

Eastern Igbos are more than Ijaws in Rivers state.

afam4eva:
Sorry, please how exactly does one recognize a nupe? Saying that Port-hacourt is where you'll find Ijaws more and not Lagos or any other big city. Now, what's the population of port-hacourt where Ikwerres and eastern Igbos are more in number individually than Ijaws.




How many local governments doe Ikwerrres occupy then compare it with that of those small Ijaw groups of which some of them are not Ijaws. Ikwerres make up 40 to 50% of rivers state.





Eastern Igbos are more than Ijaws in Rivers state.

River state is an Igboland part of Biafra

afam4eva:
How many local governments doe Ikwerrres occupy then compare it with that of those small Ijaw groups of which some of them are not Ijaws. Ikwerres make up 40 to 50% of rivers state.

Maybe you cant tell Ikwerre from Igbo.

I have lived among Ikwerres in Mile 3 and Elelenwo.

Even in crowded places like this I can name the whole town family name by family name often off the top of my head. Cos you see multitude of people in Elelenwo etc you might think they're all Ikwerre but 80% are immigrants.

afam4eva:
Eastern Igbos are more than Ijaws in Rivers state.

In Rivers State, of course but not combined Rivers and Bayelsa. Still, Ijaws are more than Ikwerres in Rivers State.

afam4eva:
How many local governments doe Ikwerrres occupy then compare it with that of those small Ijaw groups of which some of them are not Ijaws.

Guy dont tell me about local Government areas. Some of us have been in Rivers State since the time you had to drive 10 minutes through clear road and forest to get from one Ikwerre settlement to the next. From D-line/Ogunagbali to Rumuola/Rumuomasi, then another clear space till Elelenwo, even clear forest between Rumuomasi/Airforce and Elekahia until my uncle built road to connect the two. From Elelenwo toward Elele/FGC. . . all these were clear forest. Anything that looks overpopulated now is due to massive immigration in the last 20 years.

Ikwerre are not that populous.

afam4eva:
Ikwerres make up 40 to 50% of rivers state.

If Ikwerres make up 40-50% of modern day Rivers State which is more than double the population of Bayelsa, then Eastern Igbo would have won every election in the old Rivers State. But the history shows that Ijaw man always wins election in the old Rivers State

^^ Are you Ijaw or Ogoni?

Ibime:

Maybe you cant tell Ikwerre from Igbo.

I have lived among Ikwerres in Mile 3 and Elelenwo.

Even in crowded places like this I can name the whole town family name by family name often off the top of my head. Cos you see multitude of people in Elelenwo etc you might think they're all Ikwerre but 80% are immigrants.

I can tell eastern Igbos from Ikwerres just like i can tell an Onitsha person from an Ngwa person.

I had someone from Ogoni also telling me that Ikwerres are not more than Ogoni people. While we may never know the true ethnic statitics of Rivers state, there's no way those small Ijaw groups in rivers state are more than Ikwerres. If not, tell me why Ikwerres and Igboid groups have been winning elections in rivers state. Ijaws in rivers state are too small to put there person in the government house in port-hacourt except the Igboid groups in Rivers rotate it to them.

Ibime:
In Rivers State, of course but not combined Rivers and Bayelsa. Still, Ijaws are more than Ikwerres in Rivers State.

That's debatable though.

Ibime:
If Ikwerres make up 40-50% of modern day Rivers State which is more than double the population of Bayelsa, then Eastern Igbo would have won every election in the old Rivers State. But the history shows that Ijaw man always wins election in the old Rivers State

I'm referring to indigenes and not eastern Igbos.

Ibime:




Ikwerre is the largest when you split Okrika, Bonny, Kalabari, Opobo etc, but not when united as Ijaw.

The population in Ikwerreland has nothing to do with the indigenous population of the Ikwerre people. Most of the population attained in their areas is recent migration.

Some of us remember when Ikwerre land was sparse, not the population explosion we see now.


Of population, Ijaw is not up to 14 million, but definitely the fourth largest if Ibibio, Annang, Efik are treated as seperate entities.




Ijaw is by far the largest group in Rivers+Bayelsa, because when Rivers+Bayelsa was one state, Ijawman always won the gubrnatorial election by landslide.

.

Even in Port Harcourt most Rivers people you encounter are Ikwerre by ratio of about 10:1. The only part of Port Harcourt you encounter more Riverine/Ijaw is Borokiri area and Abuloma which is about 10% of the Port Harcourt metropolis. Bayelsas total population might just be up to that of Ikwerre. Tell us where the population is concentrated. Yenagoa is not as populous as Woji and Rukpokwu villages.Almost the entire Ikwerre from Emohua to Isiokpo to Elele alimini to Rumuji/Rumuekpe/Ogbakiri/ to Omagwa, Ubima, Omuanwa , Omademe, Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpo, Evo, Apara, Esara are populous.

Ibime: Comments on here are geographically biased.

Someone in Lagos telling us they have met more Nupe is simply a geographical phenomenom. I have never met a Nupe man in my life cos Nupe dont come to PortHarcourt, likewise Ijaws do not travel to Lagos too much.

You would not find Ijaws in Lagos cos we dont travel within Nigeria. Port-Harcourt has always been financially viable hence no need to travel.

Ikwerre is the largest when you split Okrika, Bonny, Kalabari, Opobo etc, but not when united as Ijaw.

The population in Ikwerreland has nothing to do with the indigenous population of the Ikwerre people. Most of the population attained in their areas is recent migration.

Some of us remember when Ikwerre land was sparse, not the population explosion we see now.


Of population, Ijaw is not up to 14 million, but definitely the fourth largest if Ibibio, Annang, Efik are treated as seperate entities.

Where did you learn this from. Google?

Ijaw is by far the largest group in Rivers+Bayelsa, because when Rivers+Bayelsa was one state, Ijawman always won the gubrnatorial election by landslide.

If you add all other groups in Rivers+Bayelsa, including Igbo, Ogoni and Andoni, they do not tally up to the Ijaw population.

Thank you Ibime

Abagworo:

Even in Port Harcourt most Rivers people you encounter are Ikwerre by ratio of about 10:1. The only part of Port Harcourt you encounter more Riverine/Ijaw is Borokiri area and Abuloma which is about 10% of the Port Harcourt metropolis. Bayelsas total population might just be up to that of Ikwerre. Tell us where the population is concentrated. Yenagoa is not as populous as Woji and Rukpokwu villages.Almost the entire Ikwerre from Emohua to Isiokpo to Elele alimini to Rumuji/Rumuekpe/Ogbakiri/ to Omagwa, Ubima, Omuanwa , Omademe, Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpo, Evo, Apara, Esara are populous.

Woji? Woji was not populated before now

Abagworo, me and you should be mate (late 20's)

20 years ago, all these other places you mentioned did not even exist.

Did these people spring up from the ground? Its all recent immigration.

90% of people you meet are Ikwerre? Abags come on!

Ikwerre do not make up 25% of the population even in their own villages!!!