Soldiers allegedly burn down houses belonging to pirates

Spiked by the unlawful killings of some civilians, the Nigerian soldiers reportedly burnt down more than 20 homes in the Niger Delta.

Security sources told AFP news agency that the action was triggered by the killing of six people in a gun battle by suspected pirates.

The source told AFP that gunmen attacked a gunboat escorting a vessel off the Nigerian coast on Sunday, BBC reported.

Security forces subsequently launched a manhunt in Lutugbene nearby and burnt down the houses they believed were owned by pirates, adds AFP.

The seas off West Africa's oil-rich coastline are the most dangerous in the world for shipping, according to the State of Maritime Piracy report by One Earth Future.

BBC