Ghana’s tallest man, 33, tragically dies from leg sores after rising to 7ft 4in

Sulemana Abdul Samed was 7ft 4in and tragically passed away earlier this week in a hospital located in Tamale, Ghana, after his height made him a local celebrity

Sulemana Abdul Samed, Ghana’s tallest man, has tragically passed away.

The 33-year-old died in hospital on Monday in the northern city of Tamale, after leg sores had become infected. This prompted a massive outpouring of grief, especially in the north of the country where Samed’s height made him a local celebrity.

“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,” a relative, Sulemana Abdul Kudus, told the BBC. Samed was diagnosed with gigantism in his 20s and was officially recorded as 7ft 4in (223cm) tall when he was recorded in 2022.

It is likely he’s grown since then, according to the BBC.

”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 added.

Samed was known locally as ‘Awuche’ and had long struggled with complications of Marfan syndrome, the genetic order which meant he was very tall.

It was only when he was 22 that Samed started to grow quicker than his peers, which he noticed when he was working at a butcher shop in Ghana’s capital city, Accra.

“I realised my tongue had expanded in my mouth to the extent that I could not breath [properly],” he said.

Samed said that Marfan syndrome had also cut-short 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.”

The family said they would bury Samed in Tamale instead of his home village, because the village would have been overwhelmed by mourners.