LAGOS: Nine children abducted at gunpoint from a Roman Catholic church in central Nigeria last week have been freed, according to local authorities.
The worshippers were abducted on February 8 while praying at St John’s Catholic Church in the Ado local government area of Benue state.
The abduction added to a series of mass kidnappings in Nigeria that drew international scrutiny, notably from the United States, over the grim security situation in Africa’s most populous country.
“The rescued children, comprising six girls and three boys, are receiving care and support,” Solomon Iorpev, an adviser to Benue state governor, said in a statement late Saturday.
“The governor, who received the news of the rescue in high spirits, appreciated the effective collaboration between the conventional security and the local vigilante groups that ensured the safe return of the victims,” Iorpev added.
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