The incident occurred on Tuesday in Idemili South.

The police in Anambra State have spoken on the report that an unnamed Catholic priest was kidnapped on Tuesday evening at Afor Market Junction along Nnobi Road in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.

Tochukwu Ikenga, the spokesperson of the police in the state, in a statement on Tuesday, described the report as "untrue."

Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said although there was a kidnap in the area, the victim was not a cleric as earlier reported.

The police spokesperson said some police officers were drafted to the scene as soon as police authorities received information about the incident and that a Lexus SUV was abandoned at the scene of the incident.

"The officers got to the scene and recovered the vehicle (and) as they approached the police base, the owner of the vehicle came to the police station with proof of ownership, was identified and the vehicle was released to him," he said.

He said the kidnap victim was dispossessed of his personal belongings and then released by the attackers.

"The command wishes to state categorically that the information gathered so far shows that he (the victim) is not a clergyman or a priest," Mr Ikenga said.

The police were still investigating the attack, he said.

Increased attacks

Like other states in Nigeria's south-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

Apart from attacks on security agencies and their facilities, several other persons - mainly government officials- have been abducted lately and killed.

The attacks have been attributed to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, which is agitating for a sovereign state for the Igbo-speaking people in the south-east.

But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.