Ghana’s tallest man dies at 33

Ghana’s tallest man, Sulemana Abdul Samed, popularly known as Awuche, has died at the age of 33.

His demise has prompted an outpour of grief, particularly in northern Ghana where his extraordinary height made him a local celebrity. Awuche | BBC

According to the BBC on Tuesday evening, Awuche died on Monday at the Tamale Teaching Hospital after being admitted with infected sores on his legs.

He was being treated in the northern city of Tamale, about 160km (100 miles) from his home village of Gambaga.

A relative, Sulemana Abdul Kudus, described the late giant as a generous and well-loved figure.

“Everyone knew how generous and kind he was. From when he died until now a lot of people are still coming to the house to find out what exactly happened,” Kudus told the BBC.

Diagnosed with gigantism in his 20s, Awuche measured 7ft 4in (223cm) when the BBC measured him in late 2022, though it is believed he may have grown even taller before his death.

Known by the Hausa nickname Awuche, meaning “Let’s Go,” he lived for years with complications arising from Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting the body’s connective tissues and responsible for his unusually long limbs.

The report said he had “struggled to pay his medical bills until businessman Ibrahim Mahama, brother of Ghanaian President John Mahama,” stepped in to support his treatment at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

Mahama had also met Awuche and, earlier this month, provided an update on plans for his medical care.

Kudus explained that the “sores on Awuche’s legs were not directly caused by Marfan syndrome but were likely a complication of the condition.”

Despite doctors reportedly saying he had been responding well to treatment, “Awuche died on Monday morning.”

“Everyone is just sad,” Kudus told the BBC, adding that residents of Gambaga were shocked by his sudden death.

He said Awuche’s fame had put the village on the map.

“Anywhere he found himself in the country and they asked him, he would say he is from Gambaga and people knew that was where the tallest man was from.

“It gave the community identity, and he was popular as well,” Kudus said.

The BBC recalled that Awuche was not always exceptionally tall. His rapid growth began at the age of 22 while he was working at a butcher’s shop in Ghana’s capital, Accra.

Recounting the onset of his condition, Awuche had told the BBC, “I realised my tongue had expanded in my mouth to the extent that I could not breath [properly].”

He said that within days, the rest of his body also began increasing in size before doctors diagnosed him with Marfan syndrome.

His condition eventually forced him to “abandon his ambition of becoming a driver and return to his hometown of Gambaga nine years ago.”

Reflecting on the impact of the disorder on his daily life, Awuche had said, “I used to play football like every other young man, I was athletic but now I cannot even walk short distances.”

Despite the physical challenges, the BBC reported that he maintained a positive outlook on life and embraced the celebrity status his remarkable height had brought him.

His family said they had decided to bury him in Tamale instead of Gambaga, fearing that the village would be overwhelmed by the number of mourners expected to attend the funeral.