ormer Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns over reports of young Nigerians allegedly turning to kidney sales to cope with severe economic hardship.
Atiku said the development was a sign of the desperation facing young Nigerians amid rising costs of food, transportation, rent, school fees, healthcare and electricity.
In a statement shared on X, the former Vice President said young Nigerians should be pursuing careers, businesses and innovations rather than considering the sale of body organs as a means of survival.
He cited reports that some vulnerable Nigerians were allegedly being offered as little as N1.7m for their kidneys, although the figure could not be independently verified by PUNCH.
Atiku linked the situation to the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that existing laws against commercial organ sales would not be enough without addressing the poverty and desperation that expose vulnerable people to criminal networks.
He called for economic policies focused on making food, transportation and healthcare more affordable while creating decent employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
