Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised the alarm over what he described as a “frightening consequence” of Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis — reports of young Nigerians selling their kidneys for as little as ₦1.7 million just to survive.

In a statement issued on Friday, Atiku said the development reflects how far desperation has gone under the current economic hardship.

“I have heard disturbing stories about the extent to which young Nigerians are being driven 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.

The 2023 ADC presidential candidate blamed the situation on soaring prices of food, transportation, rent, school fees, medicine and electricity under the Bola Tinubu administration

“In Tinubu’s Nigeria, almost everything required to live with dignity is becoming more expensive by the day. Yet young Nigerians are reportedly being driven to sell their kidneys for as little as ₦1.7 million. That should break the heart of a nation,” Atiku stated.

He lamented that the country’s youth, who should be channeling energy into innovation, are now trading body organs to stay afloat.

“Young people should be selling dreams, ideas and innovation, not their body organs. When young Nigerians begin to see their kidneys as emergency savings, we are no longer talking about ordinary economic hardship. We are talking about desperation at its most frightening.”

Atiku acknowledged that Nigeria has laws prohibiting commercial organ sales and trafficking, but said enforcement alone cannot solve the problem.

“Laws alone cannot cure the poverty and desperation that make vulnerable young people easy prey for criminal networks,” he noted.

He urged the government to pursue economic reforms with a “human face” — focused on affordable food, cheaper transportation, accessible healthcare, decent jobs and renewed hope.

“This is the human cost of Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis. Our young people should be selling their ideas, talents and innovation to the world, not their kidneys for ₦1.7 million just to survive at home.”

The statement comes amid a recent police investigation into an alleged organ-harvesting and human-trafficking operation involving four suspects, including two nephrologists.