Ghana mourns its tallest man
The death of Ghana’s tallest man, Sulemana Abdul Samed, has caused immense grief, especially in the north of the country, where his height made him a local celebrity.
The 33-year-old man died Monday in the northern city of Tamale, about 160 km (100 miles) south of his hometown of Gambaga, where he had been hospitalized after wounds on his legs became infected.
A relative named Suleimana Abdul Kudus told the BBC: “Everyone knew how generous and kind he was. From the moment he died, many people are still coming to the house to find out exactly what happened.”
The height of the man, who was diagnosed with gigantism in his 20s, was 223 cm when measured by the BBC in late 2022.
He probably grew taller before he died.
The man, known to everyone by the nickname Awuche, which means “Let’s Go” in Hausa, has long struggled with complications of Marfan syndrome, the genetic disorder that causes his extremely long limbs.
He had also struggled to pay medical bills, but recently found a benefactor in the brother of Ghanaian President John Mahama, who also met the Gambaga giant.
Ibrahim Mahama, a successful businessman, had offered to cover his medical expenses at Tamale Teaching Hospital and had given an update on his planned treatment earlier this month.
Sulemana Abdul Samed, also known as Awuche, was not measured accurately until the BBC took office in December 2022. [BBC]
Kudus told the BBC that the sores on Ache’s legs were not directly caused by Marfan syndrome, but were likely a complication caused by his condition.
He died in hospital on Monday morning, although doctors said he was responding well to treatment.
“Everyone is sad,” Kudus said, adding that Gambaga residents were shocked by his sudden death.
He made the Awuche villages famous.
”Wherever he found himself in the country and if they asked him, he would say he was from Gambaga and people would know that’s where the tallest man was. It gave the community an identity and it was popular too,” Kudus said.
Awuche was not always unusually tall; At the age of 22, he began to grow faster than his peers.
He told the BBC he was working in a butcher shop in Accra, Ghana’s capital, when he first started noticing the changes.
“I noticed my tongue was so wide in my mouth that I couldn’t breathe [properly]” he said.
Days later, he noticed that other parts of his body began to grow as well. Awuche was eventually diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, which affects the body’s connective tissues.
Marfan syndrome caused his spine to be abnormally curved [BBC]
Nine years ago, his height forced him to give up his dreams of becoming a driver and return to Gambaga.
He said that Marfan syndrome had also curtailed his social life, adding: “I used to play football like every other young man, I was athletic but now I cannot even walk short distances.”
But at the time the BBC’s report was published, he appeared to have a positive outlook on life and enjoyed his celebrity status.
The family said they decided to bury Awuche in Tamale instead of Gambaga because the village was overflowing with mourners.
Additional reporting by Favor Nunoo
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