Ghana mourns its tallest man - a 'generous and popular giant'

The death of Sulemana Abdul Samed, Ghana's tallest man, has prompted an outpouring of grief especially in the north of the country where his height had made him a local celebrity.The 33 year old died in hospital on Monday in the northern city of Tamale, about 160km (100 miles) south of his home village of Gambaga, where he had been admitted because sores on his legs had become infected."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, has told the BBC.Diagnosed with gigantism in his 20s, he was 7ft 4in (223cm) tall when measured by the BBC in 2023.It is likely he had grown even taller before his death.Known to everyone by his nickname Awuche, which means "Let's Go" in the Hausa language, he had long struggled with complications of Marfan syndrome, the genetic disorder which resulted in his extremely long limbs.He had also struggled to pay his medical bills, but recently found a benefactor in the brother of Ghana's President John Mahama, who also met the giant of Gambaga.