Africa27 July, 20262 min read
Ghana’s Tallest Man Awuche Dies At 33 After Prolonged Illness At Tamale Teaching Hospital
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Sulemana Abdul Samed, known as Awuche, died at Tamale Teaching Hospital on July 27, 2026. He was Ghana's tallest man, standing about 7 feet 4 inches.
Awuche dies in Tamale
Ghana’s tallest man, Abdul-Somed Sulemana popularly known as Awuche, died at the age of 33 in the early hours of Monday, 27th July 2026, at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) where he was receiving treatment on a VIP ward. The Asaase Radio report said Awuche died on his sickbed after battling a leg condition that had rotted, and it traced his referral to TTH from the Baptist Medical Centre (BMC) in Nalerigu.
Asaase Radio said he had been battling the condition since he was 19, and it added that doctors conducted fresh assessments at TTH and assured him that amputation would no longer be necessary. The BBC reported that 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.
Treatment, appeals, and support
Asaase Radio said Awuche appealed to the public for financial support before Mahama Rafik, Special Aide to Ibrahim Mahama, reached out to him and agreed to cover the full cost of his medical bills at TTH. It added that transport fare was provided for Awuche to travel to Tamale by a vehicle of his choice, and it said doctors at TTH told him medication could treat the leg and that all bills were being covered by Ibrahim Mahama.
The BBC said A successful businessman, Ibrahim Mahama, offered to cover his medical bills at the Tamale Teaching Hospital and earlier this month gave an update on the planned treatment. In the BBC account, a relative, Sulemana Abdul Kudus, said, "Everyone knew how generous and kind he was," describing the grief in the north after Awuche’s death.
Legacy and what’s next
Asaase Radio said Awuche was buried in Tamale in line with Islamic custom and tradition, after preparations were underway following his death at TTH. Graphic Online reported that Awuche died in the early hours of Monday (July 27, 2026) at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), where he had been receiving treatment after his health deteriorated due to complications associated with gigantism.
Graphic Online also said that on July 11, 2026, an aide to Mr Mahama, Rafik Mahama, announced that Awuche's left leg would not be amputated as had earlier been indicated in the referral from the Baptist Medical Centre in Nalerigu. The BBC described how Awuche’s height made him a local celebrity in the north and quoted Kudus saying, "Everyone is just sad," as residents of Gambaga were shocked by his sudden death.