Yenagoa the capital city of Bayelsa state. Given the Moniker the Jerusalem of the Ijaw nation because of the high population of Ijaw in the city. The city is tucked deep in the creeks past the rivers of the Niger delta. Yenagoa's fortune recently changed when it was declared the capital of the newly created state of Bayelsa in 1st October 1996. before it was chosen they were many other Options which included Kaiama the Hometown of late Isaac Adaka Boro and Brass etc. Yenagoa got chosen because at that time it was the only local government Council that could be accessed by road as a matter of fact not much have changed even now. Many people of Izon descent used yenagoa as a medium to commute to their Hometown deep in the Hinterland as well as Nembe folks too. Before attaining the position of Capital Yenagoa was a small fishing Community. Natives means of living was through fishing and farming of Food crops like Plantain, Bananas, cocoyam, Yam etc. But now after the post of Capital city the town has been transformed to an Expanding Developing city whose Inhabitants mostly rely on Civil service.

History Before Colonialism: Yenagoa is Native to the Epie-Attisa Subgroup of the Ijaw Nation. The Epie-Attisa has an extant myth of coming from Benin along with several other clans and subgroups. They speak an Edoid language called Epie which is not Mutually Intelligible with Izon or any other Ijaw clan or subgroup except the Engenne Zarama and Degema clans etc. And their Mutual Intelligibility is only Minimum. According to Folk lore The Oba Of Benin at that time were on a quest of expansion it was said that Soldiers who were sent to Conquer should come back victorious lest they would be Killed with they Commander's head on a Stake facing Benin City. So on a particular Voyage the Soldiers were not Victorious and they feared they fate Back in Benin City so they volunteered to stay far away from Benin as possible they first at a place In Delta among people of Isoko and Urhobo descent but they soon moved out and settled in a place called Aguobiri in Ijaw land. They were at peace with the People Of Aguobiri until one day dispute came between the settlers and they Hosts. It seems one day The people wanted to have a fist they already had some food for the fist but they needed more so the Hunters of the Village went out to go Get more food, but before they could come back those remaining at home had already eating the food at home which caused the dispute and the town split and most of the soldiers and other people settled at a new place a virgin land. They named it like they previous Settlement Aguobiri but soothing they native Tongue Iyineguo the meaning being quarter of people that doesn't take last(Sorry I don't have a good translation). The coming of the white men made the name to be changed to suit their tongues Hence its name Changed to Yenagoa. In the Year 1996 Yenagoa was named the Capital of Bayelsans state changing it fate for good. The town has expanded more than its original Frontiers its starting to include Izon people of the Gbarain clan, Engenne people of the Zarama clan and the Ogbia people of the Ogbia local government.

Demorgraphics: Christianity is the major religion in Yenagoa After which Islam is second followed by Traditional religion. Yenagoa has been receiving lots of Immigrants lately mostly from Igbo to Yoruba to Hausa. Urhobos and Isoko are by far one of the largest Migrant groups. They are found mostly at the Ekeki and Tombia Neighborhoods. Hausa's Reside mostly within the Arintalin and Agudama Neighborhoods. Igbo's are spread all over Yenagoa and also concentrated in the swali Neighborhood. Yorubas seem to be spread everywhere too although they mostl likely stay and live among the Hausa's and Urhobos. The Izon subgroup from other States and LGAs are by far the Majority. They are actually spread all over Yenagoa. The Epies live along the Epie creek While The other Ijaws live in the Hinter land Mostly.

Ethnic Crisis and Violence: Yenagoa is not without it's own share of Ethnic dispilutes. Disputes happens mostly between the Igbo Yenagoans and indigenes. The most recent one was that of 2017 when a Native Epie girl was killed of by an Unknown Igbo her lover. The incident didn't go down with the Natives as a lot of properties belonging to Igbos got destroyed. The crisis would have been heightened if not for the Intervention of the Government. Although Ethnic it doesn't show much they has been Intra-ethnic tensions between the Epie-Attisa Subgroup and the Izon Subgroup in matters owing to land ownership etc.
Yenagoa is also home to lots of Cults and Gangs who cause havoc in the town, the height of these was during the Cult war between 2008 to 2014 were cults namely the Greenlanders the Icelanders and the Bobos etc, were battling for supremacy. These had lessened down mostly due to actions of Government in creating a task force named Operation Famtangbe (Kill Trowe) who hunted killed and maimed boys who were into cultism thereby reducing the Crisis. other Lesser known Gangs in Yenagoa include The Chineke Boys which was formed by Young Igbo Yenagoans and other ethnicities and the Romans etc.

Sociolinguistic Pattern: To some people who might not know much, the Moniker Jerusalem of the Ijaw Nation might get them thinking Ijaw or Izon would be the lingua Franca of Yenagoa when in reality Ijaw isn't a language the closest thing is Izon which is only spoken by the Izon subgroup which only Number Four Million The Epie-Attisa speak an Edoid Language The Neighboring Ogbia speak a cross river language The Nembe speak an Ijod language which is mutually Unintelligible to Izon, in Yenagoa LGA alone is spoken Five languages namely Izon, Epie , Engenne, Buseni and Okodia.. This especially makes Nigerian English and Nigerian Pidgin the major languages spoken in Yenagoa ,The latter which has gotten Native speakers among the Youths and Younger people. Pidgin rains supreme because its act as a language of unity between the groups of Yenagoa and they still get to keep they culture.

I love my City

Other pics.

Interesting Article, I didn't know that Kaiama was an option for a capital then.

It really was because people believed since it was the Home of the war Hero Isaac Adaka Boro it should have been the capital.