Nigeria's armed forces have released 183 children who were being held on suspicion of having ties to militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

The 175 boys and eight girls - whose ages ranged from eight to 18 years - were freed in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, after being cleared of any association with the group.

The children have been moved to a state-run centre, where they are receiving medical treatment.

The Nigerian office of the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) says it will work with the Borno government to support the children.

After receiving medical and psycholocial assistance, the children will be reunited with their families.

Nigeria's government has been criticised for detaining children in the past.

In 2016, rights group Amnesty international alleged that 149 people, including 11 children and babies as young as five months, died in a detention facility in Maiduguri.”‹

Boko Haram has waged an insurgency in Nigeria since 2009