Boko Haram Leader Shekau Appears In New Video, Says He Is Alive

Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Islamist militant group Boko Haram, has appeared in a new propaganda video dismissing claims of his killing by the Nigerian military.In the latest video, just released by the Islamist terrorist group, Mr. Shekau spoke at length on his reported death in a 36-minute video. The video was originally obtained by the French news agency AFP. The Boko Haram leader said his sect had instituted sharia rule across areas captured by his fighters in the northeastern parts of Nigeria. Last month, Boko Haram militants captured several towns including Gwoza which the group named as its headquarters. 
Screen grabs of the video, seen by Reuters, show a figure in boots and combat fatigues who looks similar to the man claiming to be Shekau in previous videos.
"Here I am, alive. I will only die the day Allah takes my breath," he says in the northern Hausa language, reported the news agency, which normally receives Boko Haram tapes first, before they are distributed online.
A Nigerian military source told SaharaReporters moments ago that Nigerian intelligence agents were yet to study the new video. He said they could only authenticate the video after a thorough analysis of the new tape. The Nigerian and Cameroonian military authorities recently claimed they had killed Mr. Shekau during a battle in Konduga near Maiduguri. Even so, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that the Boko Haram figure who was killed was one Mohammed Bashir. Nigerian military officials insisted that Mr. Shekau was a nick name assumed by Mr. Bashir and several other Islamist insurgent killed in operations by the Nigerian military.