Sulemana Abdul Samed, widely known as Awuche and recognised as Ghana’s tallest man, has died at the age of 33.
According to a report by the BBC on Tuesday, Awuche died on Monday at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for infected sores on his legs.
He was admitted in Tamale, a city in northern Ghana located about 160 kilometres from his hometown of Gambaga.
A relative, Sulemana Abdul Kudus, described him as a generous and well-loved member of the community, saying many people had continued to visit the family home to learn what led to his death.
Awuche was diagnosed with gigantism in his twenties. When the BBC measured him in late 2022, he stood at 7 feet 4 inches (223 centimetres), although relatives believe he may have grown even taller before his death.
He also lived with Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissues and is associated with unusually long limbs.
The BBC reported that Awuche had struggled to pay for medical treatment until businessman Ibrahim Mahama, brother of Ghanaian President John Mahama, stepped in to support his care at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
Kudus said the sores on his legs were not directly caused by Marfan syndrome but were likely related to complications arising from the condition.
Although doctors reportedly said he was responding well to treatment, Awuche died on Monday morning.
His death has sparked widespread grief in Gambaga and other parts of northern Ghana, where his unusual height made him a well-known local figure.
According to his family, Awuche’s fame brought national attention to Gambaga, as people across Ghana associated the village with the country’s tallest man.
The BBC recalled that he was not always exceptionally tall. His rapid growth began around the age of 22 while he was working at a butcher’s shop in Accra.
He had previously told the BBC that the first sign of the condition was the enlargement of his tongue, which made breathing difficult, and that the rest of his body began growing rapidly soon afterwards before doctors diagnosed him with Marfan syndrome.
The condition eventually forced him to abandon his dream of becoming a driver and return to Gambaga about nine years ago.
Speaking about the impact of the illness on his life, Awuche had said he once played football and was athletic but later became unable to walk even short distances.
Despite the physical challenges, he remained optimistic and embraced the public attention that came with his extraordinary height.
His family said he would be buried in Tamale rather than Gambaga, citing concerns that the village might be overwhelmed by the large number of mourners expected to attend the funeral.
