The incident occurred on Thursday.
The police in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, said they have foiled a planned attack on officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ukpor, a community in Nnewi South Local Government Area of the state.
The incident occurred on Thursday at about 5:35 p.m.
The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the counter operation was carried out by a joint security team. But he did not give details of the security agencies involved in the operation.
Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said the INEC officials were rescued by the joint security team and prevented the gunmen from hurting them.
The police spokesperson said a staffer of the INEC, some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and officials of unnamed ministry, department and agency, were holding a training programme for the commission's ad-hoc staff ahead of the 2023 general elections, when the gunmen attempted to attack them.
He said the training programme, which was being held at Ukpor High School in the council area, was disrupted by the gunmen.
"No life was lost," he said.
The counter operation followed "a potent and dynamic" policing strategy put in place by the Commissioner of Police in the state, Echeng Echeng, to respond to any emergency and security concerns to ensure a hitch-free 2023 elections in the state, Mr Ikenga said.
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"Joint security patrols have been intensified in the area and efforts are still ongoing to track down the criminals," he stated.
Increased attacks
Like other states in Nigeria's South-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons.
The latest attack may have heightened fears that the worsening security situation in the South-east may negatively affect the conduct of the 2023 elections in some parts of the region.
The attack comes about two days after the police rescued 15 NYSC members who were abducted by gunmen in the state.
The attacks in the South-east, mostly targeted at security officials and government officials, have been attributed to the outlawed Indigenous people of Biafra, which is agitating for a sovereign state for the Igbo-speaking people in the region.
But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.
