Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed concern over reports that some young Nigerians are selling their kidneys as they struggle to cope with rising living costs.
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Atiku, in a statement posted on X on Thursday, linked the reported development to the worsening economic conditions in the country, blaming the policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration for increasing financial pressure on citizens.
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He said he had received reports of young Nigerians turning to extreme measures to raise money, with kidney sales reportedly becoming an option for some people facing severe financial difficulties.
Atiku said young Nigerians should be focused on developing careers, businesses and new ideas rather than considering the sale of body organs as a way of meeting their basic needs.
He claimed that some youths were being offered as little as ₦1.7 million for a kidney. However, the figure was not linked to any specific report or government agency, and it could not be independently verified at the time of the report.
The former vice president attributed the alleged trend to the rising prices of essential goods and services, including food, transportation, rent, education, healthcare and electricity.
He argued that the situation had moved beyond normal economic difficulties if young people were considering selling parts of their bodies to survive.
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Atiku also acknowledged that Nigeria has laws against the commercial sale of human organs and organ trafficking. However, he said legislation alone would not address the economic conditions that could leave financially vulnerable people open to exploitation by criminal groups.
He called for economic policies that would make basic necessities more affordable and create better opportunities for young Nigerians. His proposals included lower food and transportation costs, improved access to healthcare, more employment opportunities and measures aimed at restoring confidence among the younger population.
Atiku also used the issue to criticise Tinubu’s economic policies, maintaining that the government had made life more expensive for Nigerians. He presented his own political platform as an alternative that would seek to reduce the financial burden on households.
His comments come amid recent reports of alleged organ trafficking involving young people in parts of the country.
The Nigeria Police Force recently paraded four suspects, including two nephrologists, in connection with an alleged organ-trafficking operation. Police investigators said one of the suspects, Emmanuel Ode, allegedly admitted to recruiting victims.
Investigators also alleged that a 22-year-old man was taken to a hospital in Abuja in April, where his kidney was reportedly removed and sold for $1,250, said to be about ₦1.7 million at the time.
According to investigators, the suspected network targeted vulnerable young people in Nasarawa and nearby areas, particularly those facing serious financial difficulties.
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