Momoh the First was the son of Otaru Idaoh Ikelebe. Otaru Idaoh Ikelebe had five wives who had 13 children for him. Momoh’s mother was the 4^th wife, Iyami. His siblings of the same mother included Sefia, Aliu and Abudah; but Momoh had a strong relationship with his other siblings who played profound roles in his life. For example, Kadiri and Aliu were very influential during his reign as Otaru. It was Aliu who assisted Momoh in the onslaught against shrines and idolatry in Auchi and was puritanically opposed to Momoh’s daughters acquiring western education as he believed it would negatively affect their Islamic upbringing. Momoh had, infact, influenced the building of a school in Auchi in 1922 where he sent all his children to acquire western education and where other children in the community were also educated. Mallam Aliu wanted none of the girls attending school. He later had a brainstorming session with Momoh who argued that western education was not an obstruction to the ways of Islam. Mallam Aliu acceded and the girls returned to school. He re-activated his campaign when the school had a new headmaster who asked the girls to cut their hair, even though Momoh saw nothing wrong with that if it was what the school wanted. When Momoh wanted to enforce a change that seemed unpopular but beneficial to the community, it was Kadiri who went and enforced it. Momoh’s other siblings like Inonoh was the midwife who assisted Momoh’s wives to have their children; Oseni, his elder brother, was protective of Momoh and his eldest sister Yaya Adama (she was a warrior) was one whom Momoh held in the highest esteem.

Abudah, Momoh’s younger brother of the same mother, was one of his closest siblings. He kept the entire Ikelebe family records and was a quasi-secretary to Momoh. Although male visitors of the wives were not allowed into the palace except they were relatives, the relatives met the wives at Abudah’s house just opposite Momoh’s palace. Abudah kept the Momoh family records including every birth of Momoh’s children and Momoh’s correspondences with the district officers. These records have been preserved by his children.

One thing Momoh the First did was the elaborate preparation before the birth of each child. He involved Islamic clerics who said special prayers for the mother and the coming child. Many of Momoh’s children in direct birth have gone on to distinguish themselves in various capacities and disciplines, including law, education, army, police, sports, business and politics. Some of them have been chronicled in Momoh Descendants.