NEWS
‘Young Nigerians Now Selling Their Kidneys to Survive’ — Atiku Raises Alarm
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has raised the alarm over reports that some young Nigerians are resorting to selling their kidneys for as little as ₦1.7 million to cope with the country’s worsening cost-of-living crisis.
Atiku made the remarks in a statement on Friday, expressing concern that economic hardship was pushing young Nigerians towards increasingly desperate measures simply to survive.
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He described the reported development as “frightening,” stressing that young Nigerians should be using their talents, ideas and creativity to build better lives rather than being forced to consider selling their body organs.
“Young people should be selling dreams, ideas and innovation, not their body organs,” Atiku said.
According to him, the rising cost of essential goods and services, including food, transportation, rent, school fees, medicine and electricity, has placed enormous pressure on Nigerians.
He blamed the economic direction of the administration of President Bola Tinubu for what he described as the worsening hardship confronting citizens.
“In Tinubu’s Nigeria, almost everything required to live with dignity is becoming more expensive by the day: food, transport, rent, school fees, medicine and electricity,” he said.
Atiku said the reported sale of kidneys for as little as ₦1.7 million was evidence that the crisis had moved beyond ordinary economic hardship.
“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,” he added.
The former vice president noted that Nigeria already has laws prohibiting commercial organ sales and organ trafficking.
However, he argued that enforcement alone would not solve the underlying poverty and desperation exposing vulnerable Nigerians to exploitation.
“Laws alone cannot cure the poverty and desperation that make vulnerable young people easy prey for criminal networks,” Atiku said.
He called for economic reforms that would have a direct impact on the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians, including measures to make food and transportation more affordable, improve access to healthcare and create decent employment opportunities.
Atiku further urged the government to pursue policies capable of restoring hope among young Nigerians.
“Our young people should be selling their ideas, talents and innovation to the world and not their kidneys for ₦1.7 million just to survive at home,” he said.
His comments come amid reports of alleged organ sales and a police investigation into an alleged organ-harvesting and human-trafficking operation involving four suspects, including two nephrologists.
Atiku described the situation as a disturbing reflection of what he called the “human cost” of Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis.
Otunba Segun Showunmi, a member of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for 2027, has urged the South-East to assess President Bola Tinubu’s administration based on verifiable projects and measurable results rather than political propaganda.
Showunmi made the call in a statement posted on X on Saturday, urging Nigerians to evaluate the government’s performance based on infrastructure delivery, funds committed to projects and their impact on communities.
He said federal infrastructure initiatives targeting the South-East under Tinubu’s administration deserved serious scrutiny and factual assessment, adding that unfulfilled promises should continue to be pursued until the expected results were delivered.
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“Our message is clear: We will not trade facts for propaganda, nor accountability for political loyalty!” he said.
The political figure challenged critics of the administration to provide evidence to support their claims, while urging those defending the government to present the projects and demonstrate their impact.
He also called on government officials to publish relevant figures, disclose project timelines and provide measurable results, insisting that no public official should be exempt from scrutiny.
According to Showunmi, the South-East deserves infrastructure that supports economic growth, including roads that connect markets, investments that create jobs and policies that expand economic opportunities.
He maintained that political representation must translate into tangible benefits for citizens, stressing that public office should deliver value to the people.
As part of his call to action, Showunmi urged Nigerians to scrutinise government records, challenge misinformation with evidence and demand the completion of outstanding projects.
He further called for public commitments to be matched by measurable delivery, arguing that leadership should be assessed by facts and results rather than political rhetoric.
Ending his statement with the slogan, “Asiwaju is a goal,” Showunmi called for accountability and greater inclusion of the South-East in Nigeria’s development.
Showunmi is associated with The Alternative and is a member of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 elections.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Saturday announced a temporary road closure near Apostolic Church, inward Toll Gate, to allow engineers to install a beam on a height-restriction structure.
The agency said the installation was aimed at preventing high-rise trailers from accessing the newly constructed pedestrian bridge.
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“Currently, one lane has been occupied to facilitate the ongoing construction work, while the remaining two lanes are available to motorists,” LASTMA stated.
The agency advised road users to approach the affected corridor with caution and follow the directions of its personnel deployed to the area.
“Road users are advised to approach the affected corridor with caution and follow the directions of our personnel who are on ground to ensure the smooth flow of vehicular movement,” the statement added.
LASTMA also urged motorists to remain patient while the installation work continued.
“Motorists are encouraged to exercise patience while the installation work is in progress,” the agency stated.
Nigerian national Ekene Chukwuma has said he returned to Nigeria with assistance linked to Oseni Rufai rather than the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), while renewing allegations against the commission’s chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, over his travel documents.
Chukwuma made the remarks in an interview in which he explained how he returned to Nigeria after spending months at a deportation camp in India.
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“My name is Kenneth Chukwu, from Enugu State,” he said, introducing himself before explaining how he returned to the country.
“I came back here with the assist of Osini Roufai, a good friend of him,” he said.
Chukwuma denied that NiDCOM facilitated his return, alleging that the commission had published false information about his case.
“NiDCOM made a lots of false, uh, news acquisition against me, which is still in Abike Dabiri handle in Twitter,” he said.
He also accused Dabiri-Erewa of sharing his expired international passport and a travel certificate he claimed was issued six months after he entered the detention camp.
“He also, she also posted my international passport that expired. He also, she also posted my TC that issued after 6 months,” he said.
His comments renew questions surrounding the handling of his case and the circumstances under which he obtained the documents needed to return to Nigeria.
Chukwuma’s detention in India previously sparked a public disagreement between ARISE News presenter Oseni Rufai and Dabiri-Erewa over NiDCOM’s response to reports of his situation.
Oseni raised concerns about Chukwuma’s detention and the commission’s handling of the case, while Dabiri-Erewa defended NiDCOM’s position and explained the process for submitting information to the commission.
NiDCOM subsequently issued its account of Chukwuma’s detention, stating that he had been arrested in India over a visa overstay and addressing the circumstances surrounding his travel documents.
The differing accounts prompted public debate about the commission’s response to Nigerians facing immigration difficulties abroad.
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