ABUJA — Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has raised an alarm over the severe economic hardship under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, warning that extreme poverty, hyperinflation, and widespread youth unemployment are driving vulnerable young Nigerians into the hands of illegal organ-harvesting syndicates.
In a statement issued on Friday, September 4, 2026, Atiku reacted to the recent uncoverings by the Nigeria Police Force, which arrested a four-man organ trafficking ring—including two medical nephrologists—operating across Abuja and Nasarawa State. Police investigations revealed that the syndicate targeted financially desperate young people, luring a 22-year-old man to a capital city hospital in April 2026 where his kidney was harvested for $1,250 (approximately ₦1.7 million).
Atiku described the incident as a disturbing reflection of societal collapse, stating that when citizens are forced to trade vital body parts to survive, government policies have fundamentally failed. He called on the administration to urgently introduce economic reforms with a human face—focusing on affordable food, accessible healthcare, cheaper transportation, and genuine job creation—capping his statement with a direct political jab: “Tinubu made Nigeria expensive; I will make Nigeria affordable again.”
