A Nigerian priest who was held for four days in captivity has been freed.

Fr Edwin Omoregbe, who had been kidnapped last week in Nigeria's Edo state, was released on Sunday, the Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported.

'With great joy in our heart, we want to inform you all that our priest, Rev Fr Edwin Omorogbe has been released from the hands of kidnappers,' said a statement from the Archdiocese of Benin City, according to the Guardian of Lagos.

'We thank you all for your prayers and pray that God continues to grant all our heart desires,' the statement added.

Fr Omorogbe, who is a parish priest at St Paul's Catholic Church in Benin City, was abducted on April 18 by unidentified gunmen near Egba, on the way from Uromi to Benin City.

Babatunde Kokumo, the Edo State commissioner of police, and others led a search for Omorogbe in the bushes of the Uhumwonde Local Government Area after his kidnapping, according to CNA.

The motive behind the kidnapping is unknown, and those responsible have not been identified.

Fr Omoregbe was ordained in 2003, and has studied in Canada.

CNA recounted that in recent months, several priests and religious have been abducted in southern Nigeria.

Six female religious were held for two months after being taken from Iguoriakhi near Uromi, also in Edo state, before they were released by a police operation in January.

An Italian missionary priest, Fr Maurizio Pallù, was kidnapped in Edo state for a week in October 2017, and in Imo state, Fr. Cyriacus Onunkwo was kidnapped and killed in September last year.