The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) Enugu State chapter has distanced itself from a statement allegedly issued by one Comrade Kindness Jonah on behalf of the human rights group.
In an official release by Comrade Zulu Ofoelue, Chairman of CLO Enugu State Branch, it was clarified that Jonah has no authority to issue any petitions or statements on behalf of the CLO. Ofoelue emphasized that Jonah holds no executive position in the organization and acted without its knowledge or consent.
The statement explained, “CLO has a longstanding tradition of not releasing any statements on human or civil rights matters without conducting thorough investigations based on justice, the rule of law, and fair hearing.”
The attention of the CLO was drawn to an online publication titled “Alleged Embezzlement: CLO Asks Gov. Mbah to Dethrone Enugu Monarch, Igwe Nevobasi,” published in *The Nations News* on October 10, 2024, and attributed to Jonah.
In response, CLO made the following clarifications:
1. The document did not originate from any level of the Civil Liberties Organisation, whether at the State, South East Zone, or National Body.
2. The matter mentioned in the petition had never been brought before the CLO for investigation, arbitration, or mediation.
3. CLO reaffirms its credibility as a human rights and civil society organization with years of operational experience, stressing that it follows a rigorous investigative process before making any public statements.
4. Comrade Jonah is not an official of the CLO at any level and has no authority to issue statements or petitions on its behalf.
The organization strongly disowned both the petition and its author, condemning the unauthorized use of its name. CLO called on the relevant authorities to address the situation and prevent further misuse of its identity.
The CLO assured the public that while the allegations in the fake petition may imply serious human rights violations, the organization will conduct a proper investigation and release an official position in due course.
