Atiku Abubakar, the presidential standard-bearer of the African Democratic Congress, has blamed the desperation of young Nigerians to sell their kidneys on President Bola Tinubu’s harsh economic policies.

“The primary responsibility of any government is the security and welfare of its citizens. And by making sure that the cost of living is low and affordable, no poverty as much as possible,” said Mr Abubakar while addressing a group of people in a video he posted on Friday. “To the extent that young men and women like you are selling their organs simply because of poverty, lack of jobs, and insecurity that this government has come to impose on Nigerians.”

The ADC presidential candidate further stressed that he has pictures of young men who sold their kidneys for money.

“I have many pictures of young men like you who you will see on one side of their tummy on operation and their kidney is removed. This is heartbreaking. This is heartbreaking.  Our poverty has reached that level,” Mr Abubakar explained.

The presidential hopeful said ADC would take measures to reduce the cost of living if elected.

The police, on the penultimate Friday, announced the arrest of a suspect linked to Wellington Hospital in Abuja and their conspirators in an organ harvesting and human trafficking racket targeting vulnerable and uneducated people in Nasarawa.

A victim revealed how a friend tricked him into having his kidney harvested in an Abuja hospital.