Atiku Raises Alarm Over Reports of Nigerians Selling Kidneys for ₦1.7m
Former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has raised concern over reports that some young Nigerians are considering selling their kidneys for as little as ₦1.7 million, describing the situation as a disturbing sign of the pressure created by the country’s cost-of-living crisis.
In a statement on Friday, Atiku said reports of young people contemplating the sale of body organs to raise money should alarm the entire country.
He argued that young Nigerians should be able to use their skills, creativity and ideas to build sustainable livelihoods rather than resorting to desperate measures to meet basic needs.
“Young people should be selling dreams, ideas and innovation, not their body organs.”
Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, former Vice President and PDP Presidential Candidate
Atiku blames rising living costs
Atiku linked the reported desperation to the rising cost of essentials under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He specifically pointed to the increasing cost of food, transportation, rent, school fees, medicine and electricity, arguing that the pressure on household finances is pushing vulnerable Nigerians towards increasingly dangerous choices.
According to Atiku, the reported willingness of some young people to sell a kidney for ₦1.7 million goes beyond ordinary financial hardship.
He described it as evidence of a level of desperation in which people may begin to view a vital body organ as a source of emergency income.
“When young Nigerians begin to see their kidneys as emergency savings, we are no longer talking about ordinary economic hardship,” he said.
Atiku said the situation should prompt a wider conversation about the human consequences of economic policies and how they affect Nigerians struggling to meet their daily needs.
Laws against organ trafficking are not enough, Atiku says
Nigeria already has laws prohibiting the commercial trade in human organs and organ trafficking. However, Atiku argued that legal restrictions alone cannot eliminate the conditions that make vulnerable people susceptible to exploitation.
He said poverty and desperation could leave young Nigerians exposed to criminal networks that prey on people looking for quick financial relief.
“Laws alone cannot cure the poverty and desperation that make vulnerable young people easy prey for criminal networks,” he said.
His argument places the issue of organ trafficking alongside the broader challenges of unemployment, healthcare access and household affordability.
Calls for a “human face” to economic reforms
Atiku called for economic policies that produce tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
He said economic reforms should translate into more affordable food and transportation, accessible healthcare, decent employment opportunities and greater hope for young people.
The ADC presidential candidate also urged Nigerians to focus on creating an environment where young people can earn from their talents and innovation.
He said the country’s youth should be able to “sell their ideas, talents and innovation to the world” rather than consider selling their kidneys to survive.
Organ-trafficking concerns
The comments come amid reports of alleged organ harvesting and human trafficking activities in Nigeria.
A recent police investigation reportedly involves four suspects, including two nephrologists, over an alleged operation linked to organ harvesting and human trafficking.
The allegations are serious and remain subject to investigation. Any claims concerning specific individuals or criminal networks should therefore be treated as allegations unless established by a competent court.
For Atiku, however, the reported kidney sales highlight a deeper economic concern: when basic living costs become overwhelming, vulnerable people can become targets for exploitation.
The challenge now extends beyond investigating alleged organ-trafficking networks. It also raises questions about how government, healthcare institutions, law-enforcement agencies and social welfare systems can protect vulnerable Nigerians while tackling the economic pressures that may drive people towards dangerous choices.
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