The tallest man in Ghana died at the age of 33

Abdul Samed, known as Ghana’s tallest man at 7 feet 4 inches (223 cm) has died at the age of 33.

According to the BBC on Tuesday evening, Awuche died on Monday at the Tamale Teaching Hospital after being treated for an infected wound on his leg.

He was treated in the northern town of Tamale, about 160 km (100 miles) from his hometown of Gambaga.

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

“Everyone knows how generous and kind he was. Since he died until now, many people still come to the house to find out what really happened,” Kudus told the BBC.

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

Known by the Hausa nickname Awuche, which means “Let’s Go,” he lived for years with complications arising from Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue and causes his limbs to be unusually long.

Kudus explained that “the wound on Awuche’s leg was not directly caused by Marfan syndrome but was likely a complication of the condition.”

Although doctors reportedly said he was responding well to treatment, “Awuche died Monday morning.”

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

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

“Wherever he is in the country and they ask him, he will say he is from Gambaga and people know that is where the tallest man comes from.

“It gives his community identity, and he’s also popular,” Kudus said.

The BBC recalls that Awuche was not always so tall.

His rapid growth began at the age of 22 when he worked in a butcher shop in Ghana’s capital, Accra.

Recounting the start of his condition, Awuche told the BBC, “I realized my tongue was stretched out in my mouth to the point where I couldn’t breathe. [properly].”

He said that within a few days, the rest of his body also started getting bigger before doctors diagnosed him with Marfan syndrome.

These conditions ultimately forced him to “abandon his ambition to become a driver and return to his hometown of Gambaga nine years ago.”

His family said they decided to bury him in Tamale, rather than Gambaga, because they feared the village would be overwhelmed by the number of mourners expected to attend the funeral.