LAGOS, Nigeria (AFP) —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(US), 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.

No details of the operation were given.

Benue is part of Nigeria’s so-called Middle Belt region, which has seen clashes between farmers and herders over land and natural resources, as well as kidnappings by armed criminals.

While the practice of paying ransoms to kidnappers is illegal in Nigeria, the government is suspected of regularly paying cash.

The police did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

Mass kidnappings late last year included around 300 Catholic school children and staff.

The abductions drew US ire and President Donald Trump said Nigeria’s Christians face persecution. The Nigerian government and experts rejected the accusation, saying that the country’s myriad conflicts kill both Christians and Muslims, often without distinction.

Following the kidnappings, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in November and launched a recruitment drive for more soldiers and police.