FORMER Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has expressed concern over reports of young Nigerians allegedly selling their organs to survive amid the country’s cost of living crisis.
In a post on his official name X on Friday, Atiku described reports of youths selling body parts, particularly kidneys, as “disturbing” and “horrible.”
“I have heard disturbing stories about the extent to which young Nigerians are forced simply to survive. Perhaps the most horrifying are the growing reports of young people selling parts of their bodies – kidneys in particular – in desperate attempts to raise money,” he said.
Atiku said young Nigerians should focus on developing careers, businesses and innovation instead of being forced to take desperate measures.
“Young people should be selling dreams, ideas and innovation, not their bodily organs. However, when the cost of living crisis becomes unbearable, desperation begins to make the unthinkable seem like an option. That should offend the conscience of all Nigerians,” he said.
He lamented that essential needs were becoming increasingly unaffordable, citing food, transport, rent, school fees, medicine and electricity among the areas where costs were rising.
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According to him, there were reports that some Nigerian youths sold their kidneys for as low as N1.7 million.
“When young Nigerians start to see their kidneys as emergency savings, we are no longer talking about ordinary economic hardship. We are talking about desperation in its most terrifying form,” he said.
The ADC presidential candidate noted that while Nigeria had laws prohibiting the sale and trafficking of organs for commercial purposes, legislation alone could not address the poverty that drives such acts.
“No government should celebrate ‘reforms’ while young Nigerians are forced to sell parts of themselves to eat, pay rent, cover school fees or survive,” he said.
Atiku called for economic policies that directly address the affordability and well-being of Nigerians.
“Economic reform must have a human face. It must mean affordable food, cheaper transportation, accessible health care, decent jobs and renewed hope for the next generation,” he said.
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