Gombe: At 21, Sammy Samaila has never eaten solid food, yet he walks daily to class, studies sociology, and quietly navigates university life with determination.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Samaila, a 400-level Sociology student at Gombe State University, survives entirely on liquids, sometimes carried in a flask to lectures. Since childhood, he has lived on pap, tom brown made from millet groundnuts and soya beans, juices, and other drinks. Born in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, Samaila recalled that at age four, the mere attempt to chew triggered nausea, leading his parents to seek medical advice.
Samaila remembers his father’s attempts to encourage him to eat, which always ended in vomiting. Despite several medical tests, doctors found nothing physically wrong. Even now, solid food induces the urge to vomit, although his bowel movements remain largely normal. His life revolves around medication to keep him healthy, with his younger brother, David, always nearby for support.
Samaila experiences weakness, especially after physical exertion. He avoids heavy lifting and relies on medications such as folic acid, vitamin B complex, and yeast supplements, taken with pap. People often mistake his brother for the older sibling due to his apparent strength.
As a twin, Samaila lost his sister, Susan, at five months old, leaving a scar on the family and prompting cultural interpretations of his condition. Despite his liquid-only diet, Samaila is an excellent cook, a skill taught by his mother. He prepares his own meals, including pap, which he brings to school. His hobbies include watching football and films, and he hopes to meet others with similar experiences.
Samaila’s father, Mr. Samaila Yaro, recounted years of hospital visits and attempts to feed his son solids, which always resulted in sickness. Medical examinations, including an endoscopy, showed no abnormalities. A nearby village woman once linked Samaila’s condition to his late twin sister, suggesting a red cloth ritual, which proved ineffective.
Yaro expressed initial concerns about Samaila’s mental development, but his son excelled academically, passing WAEC, NECO, and JAMB in one sitting and nearing graduation without academic setbacks. Samaila’s success defies superstition, with Yaro attributing his uniqueness to divine creation.
Prof. Hauwa Ibrahim, a visiting Harvard academic and relative, finds Samaila’s life both puzzling and inspiring, challenging health professionals to understand how someone can survive without solid food. Speculation about sickle cell disease was dismissed, as Samaila’s genotype is AS, like his father’s, while his mother’s is AA.
A gastroenterologist reviewing Samaila’s history suggested conditions such as Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) or functional dysphagia, where individuals avoid solids due to fear or discomfort, despite normal test results.
In a society quick to label differences, Samaila’s story resists easy explanation. It is a tale of a rare feeding disorder, a father’s perseverance, and a son’s relentless efforts.