EUTHANASIA: IN THE LIGHT OF YAR ADUA S DEATH; KILLING AND LETTING TO DIE DISTINGUISHED

Abstract

Today, the concept of euthanasia remains of the major contemporary issues across the globe. Upper most in the arguments amongst euthanasia proponents and opponents is the issue of killing (active euthanasia) and letting to die (passive euthanasia). While proponents, in drumming support for euthanasia, see no reason to differentiate between the two, opponents on the other hand are of the view that both words are different. The reason being that in the former the patient is killed, while in the latter case, the patient died from natural cause or ailment. Thus, this paper examines the arguments on both sides in the light of the death of Nigeria s former president, who had been on a life support machine for several months before dying a natural death. The essence is to show that differences exist between hastening someone s death, (Killing) and actually allowing the person to die naturally through the insertion and or withdrawal of life support machine (Letting to die), but without a discontinuance of artificial nutrition and hydration (food and drink).